As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2020.
Registration Nos. 333-146374
811-22127


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
Post-Effective Amendment No. 71
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 72
(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (800) 345-6611

Christopher O. Petersen, Esq.
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
225 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Ryan C. Larrenaga, Esq
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
225 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
(Name and Address of Agents for Service)

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
☐        Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
☒        On May 1, 2020 pursuant to paragraph (b)
☐        60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐        On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐        75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
☐        On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐         This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
This Post-Effective Amendment relates to all series of the Registrant except for Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Equities Fund and Variable Portfolio – Columbia Wanger International Equities Fund.


Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds

    
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund
(known as CTIVP® – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund prior to 5/20/19)
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
 

  
Each above-named Columbia Variable Portfolio, CTIVP® and Variable Portfolio Fund (each a “VP Fund” or a “Fund” and together the “VP Funds” or the “Funds”) may offer Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and certain other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents
SUMMARIES OF THE FUNDS
Investment Objective(s), Fees and Expenses of the Fund, Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Performance Information, Fund Management, Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Tax Information, Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 

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Investment Objective(s), Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Portfolio Management
 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents (continued)

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Balanced Fund (the Fund) seeks maximum total investment return through a combination of capital growth and current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.69% 0.69% 0.69%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.09% 0.09% 0.09%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.78% 1.03% 0.91%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $80 $249 $433 $966
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $105 $328 $569 $1,259
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $93 $290 $504 $1,120
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 126% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in a mix of equity and debt securities. The Fund’s assets are allocated among equity and debt securities (which includes cash and cash equivalents) based on an assessment of the relative risks and returns of each asset class. The Fund generally will invest between 35% and 65% of its net assets in each asset class, and in any event will invest at least 25% and no more than 75% of its net assets in each asset class under normal circumstances.
With respect to its equity securities investments, which may include among other types of equity securities, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies that, at the time of purchase, have large market capitalizations (generally over $5 billion). The Fund may use value-oriented investing strategies, amongst others.
With respect to its debt securities investments, the Fund invests primarily in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality. These securities include debt securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and other debt securities with intermediate- to long-term maturities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures). The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging (investment) purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset, as well as to manage duration, yield curve and/or interest rate exposure.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Large-Cap Stock RiskInterest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, and Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 9.92%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -9.63%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 06/25/2014 22.96% 7.62% 9.79%
Class 2 06/25/2014 22.66% 7.35% 9.55%
Class 3 04/30/1986 22.78% 7.45% 9.69%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 60% S&P 500 Index and 40% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   22.18% 8.37% 9.77%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.75%
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Guy Pope, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Contrarian Core Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2011
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Portfolio Manager   2018
Gregory Liechty   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2011
Ronald Stahl, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Short Duration and Stable Value Team   Portfolio Manager   2011
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Disciplined Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.63% 0.63% 0.63%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.66% 0.91% 0.79%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $67 $211 $368 $822
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $93 $290 $504 $1,120
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $252 $439 $978
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers employ a process that applies fundamental investment concepts in a systematic framework seeking to identify and exploit mispriced stocks. The Fund benefits from collaboration between quantitative and fundamental research to create sector and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models, which are utilized by the portfolio managers when constructing a diversified portfolio.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Quantitative Model Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. While security selection is driven by fundamental concepts, a quantitative process is used to construct the portfolio. Additionally, a qualitative review of the quantitative output is conducted by the portfolio managers. Therefore, the Fund’s performance will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make active, qualitative decisions, including allocation decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)
disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 14.46%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -14.52%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 24.78% 10.28% 13.52%
Class 2 05/03/2010 24.46% 10.00% 13.24%
Class 3 10/13/1981 24.63% 10.14% 13.37%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Condon, CFA, CAIA*   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Quantitative Strategies   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Peter Albanese   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Raghavendran Sivaraman, Ph.D., CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
* Brian Condon has announced that he plans to retire from the Investment Manager, on May 31, 2020. Until then, Mr. Condon will continue to serve as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Prospectus 2020 17

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Dividend Opportunity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income and, as a secondary objective, steady growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.67% 0.67% 0.67%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.79% 1.04% 0.92%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $252 $439 $978
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $106 $331 $574 $1,271
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $293 $509 $1,131
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in equity securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. The selection of dividend-paying stocks is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio. The Fund invests principally in securities of companies believed to be attractively valued and to have the potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)
Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as another measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 12.69%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -18.31%
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 24.07% 8.16% 10.13%
Class 2 05/03/2010 23.76% 7.89% 9.85%
Class 3 09/15/1999 23.92% 8.03% 10.00%
MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of
withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)
  21.26% 9.78% 12.65%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 11.80%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David King, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Yan Jin   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Emerging Markets Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 1.10% 1.10% 1.10%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses(a) 0.11% 0.11% 0.11%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.21% 1.46% 1.34%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $123 $384 $665 $1,466
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $149 $462 $797 $1,746
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $136 $425 $734 $1,613
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 26% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities (including, but not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks) of companies located in emerging market countries. The
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Fund may also gain exposure to such companies through investment in depositary receipts. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment.
The Fund may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector. However, the Fund has invested substantially in the consumer discretionary, financial services and information technology sectors and may continue to invest substantially in these or other sectors in the future. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
The Fund may invest in securities that the investment manager believes are undervalued, represent growth opportunities, or both.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Emerging Market Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Geographic Focus Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.
Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. The Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Chinese economies are dependent on the economies of other countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from other emerging economies in Asia with lower costs. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties. The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak have exacerbated political and diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, which could adversely affect international trade and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Changes in Chinese government policy and economic growth rates could significantly affect local markets and the entire Greater China region. China has yet to develop comprehensive securities, corporate, or commercial laws, its market is relatively new and less developed, and its economy is experiencing a relative slowdown. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 19.59%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -24.47%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 31.50% 7.82% 4.84%
Class 2 05/03/2010 31.13% 7.54% 4.58%
Class 3 05/01/2000 31.29% 7.67% 4.70%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   18.42% 5.61% 3.68%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dara White, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2012
Robert Cameron   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2012
Young Kim   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2015
Perry Vickery, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Derek Lin, CFA
  Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Global Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through income and growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.65% 0.65% 0.65%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses(a) 0.19% 0.19% 0.19%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.84% 1.09% 0.97%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.23%) (0.23%) (0.23%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.61% 0.86% 0.74%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.61% for Class 1, 0.86% for Class 2 and 0.735% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $62 $245 $443 $1,016
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $88 $324 $579 $1,308
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $286 $514 $1,169
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 57% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in debt obligations of issuers located in at least three different countries (which may include the U.S.). Debt obligations include debt securities and instruments, including money market instruments, either issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by (i) the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, (ii) non-U.S. governments, their agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, or (iii) corporate or other non-governmental entities. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest significantly in below investment-grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”) in seeking to achieve higher dividends and/or capital appreciation.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas and may invest in issuers in emerging markets. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In addition, in pursuing its objective, the Fund, employing fundamental analysis, may enter into various currency-, interest rate- and credit-related transactions involving derivatives instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures contracts (including currency, index, interest rate, and other bond futures), and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, inflation rate swaps, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps). The use of these derivative instruments allows the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies, interest rates, credit risks and duration risks. The Fund may use these derivatives as well as “to be announced” (TBA) mortgage-backed securities in an effort to leverage exposures and produce incremental earnings, for hedging purposes, to obtain increased or decreased exposures to various markets/sectors or to increase investment flexibility. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements, assessments of market conditions, macroeconomic analysis and qualitative valuation analysis.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Credit Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund's assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund's obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Hedged USD Index, which is a broad measure of market performance, as well as the Bloomberg Barclays Global Credit Hedged USD Index, which is another measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 8.20%
Worst

4th Quarter 2016 -7.62%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 10.96% 0.70% 1.41%
Class 2 05/03/2010 10.75% 0.46% 1.17%
Class 3 05/01/1996 10.91% 0.58% 1.29%
Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Hedged USD Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.22% 3.57% 4.08%
Bloomberg Barclays Global Credit Hedged USD Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   11.85% 4.36% 5.08%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Gene Tannuzzo, CFA   Deputy Global Head of Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Tim Jagger   Head of Emerging Market Debt and Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Ryan Staszewski, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Prospectus 2020 39

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
40 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Government Money Market Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.39% 0.39% 0.39%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.47% 0.72% 0.60%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.02%) (0.02%) (0.02%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.45% 0.70% 0.58%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.45% for Class 1, 0.70% for Class 2 and 0.575% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $46 $149 $261 $590
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $72 $228 $399 $893
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $59 $190 $333 $748
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash. For purposes of this policy, “government securities” are any securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the Government of the United States pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United States, or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
The Fund typically invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund invests in a portfolio of securities maturing in 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing the operation of money market funds) that will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less.
The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and other rules of the SEC. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in government securities and/or repurchase securities that are collateralized by government securities. The Fund will only purchase government securities, cash, repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash, and up to 0.5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in other securities that present minimal credit risk as determined by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager (the Investment Manager), pursuant to guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees of the Fund has determined that the Fund will not be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates at this time.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Money Market Fund Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below.
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the net asset value (NAV) of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of a security or instrument in the Fund’s portfolio may or will decline if the issuer fails to pay interest or repay principal when due. The value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer of the instrument defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. The Fund’s yield will vary; it is not fixed for a specific period like the yield on a bank certificate of deposit. Under certain circumstances, the yield decline could cause the Fund’s net yield to be negative (such as when Fund expenses exceed income levels). Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Risk . Although government money market funds (such as the Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.
At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and
Prospectus 2020 43

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
When-Issued, Delayed Settlement and Forward Commitment Transactions, Including U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Notes Risk. When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. A Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the purchase and settlement dates. Such transactions include floating rate obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their coupon rates do not reset as high, or as quickly, as interest rates in general, and generally carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
Prior to May 1, 2016, the Fund operated as a prime money market fund and invested in certain types of securities that the Fund is no longer permitted to hold to any significant extent (i.e., over 0.5% of total assets). Consequently, the performance information may have been different if the current investment limitations had been in effect during the period prior to the Fund’s conversion to a government money market fund.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information, including current 7-day yield, can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
44 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2019 0.51%
Worst

1st Quarter 2010 0.002%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 1.89% 0.77% 0.39%
Class 2 05/03/2010 1.64% 0.62% 0.31%
Class 3 10/13/1981 1.77% 0.69% 0.35%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Prospectus 2020 45

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – High Yield Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.66% 0.66% 0.66%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.11% 0.11% 0.11%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.77% 1.02% 0.90%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.10%) (0.10%) (0.10%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.67% 0.92% 0.80%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.67% for Class 1, 0.92% for Class 2 and 0.795% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $68 $236 $418 $945
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $315 $554 $1,239
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $82 $277 $489 $1,099
46 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield debt instruments (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds or securities). These high yield debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as floating rate loans rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings
Prospectus 2020 47

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
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Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity
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Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by
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Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
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Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.75%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -5.71%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 17.00% 5.79% 7.41%
Class 2 05/03/2010 16.52% 5.51% 7.13%
Class 3 05/01/1996 16.72% 5.66% 7.26%
ICE BofA US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   14.40% 6.13% 7.47%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Lavin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of U.S. High Yield, Co-Head Global High Yield   Lead Portfolio Manager   2010
Daniel J. DeYoung   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Summary of Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.66% 0.66% 0.66%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses(a) 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.74% 0.99% 0.87%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.07%) (0.07%) (0.07%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.67% 0.92% 0.80%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.67% for Class 1, 0.92% for Class 2 and 0.795% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $68 $230 $405 $912
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $308 $540 $1,207
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $82 $271 $475 $1,066
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 58% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s assets are invested primarily in income-producing debt securities, with an emphasis on the higher rated segment of the high-yield (junk bond) market. These income-producing debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as bank loans. The Fund will purchase only debt instruments rated B or above, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality. If a debt instrument falls below a B rating after investment by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the instrument.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.48%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -4.66%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 16.47% 5.58% 7.09%
Class 2 05/03/2010 16.12% 5.34% 6.85%
Class 3 06/01/2004 16.23% 5.46% 6.97%
ICE BofA BB-B US Cash Pay High Yield Constrained Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   15.09% 6.11% 7.40%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Lavin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of U.S. High Yield, Co-Head Global High Yield   Lead Portfolio Manager   2004
Daniel J. DeYoung   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Intermediate Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while attempting to conserve the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.47% 0.47% 0.47%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.49% 0.74% 0.62%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $50 $157 $274 $616
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $237 $411 $918
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $63 $199 $346 $774
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 256% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. government,
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, and interest rate swaps) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO).
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 3.67%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -2.57%
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Summary of Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 9.25% 3.65% 4.39%
Class 2 05/03/2010 9.03% 3.38% 4.15%
Class 3 10/13/1981 9.12% 3.51% 4.27%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.75%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Gene Tannuzzo, CFA   Deputy Global Head of Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.70% 0.70% 0.70%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.73% 0.98% 0.86%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $75 $233 $406 $906
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $100 $312 $542 $1,201
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $88 $274 $477 $1,061
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
change. The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Sector Risk, Market Risk, Growth Securities Risk and Large-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological
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Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 17.27%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -17.49%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 35.90% 13.07% 14.16%
Class 2 05/03/2010 35.53% 12.79% 13.88%
Class 3 09/15/1999 35.76% 12.93% 14.03%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   36.39% 14.63% 15.22%
  
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Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Melda Mergen, CFA, CAIA   Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director and Deputy Global Head of Equities   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Peter Santoro, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Tchintcia Barros, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Large Cap Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.26% 0.51% 0.39%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $27 $84 $146 $331
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $52 $164 $285 $640
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $40 $125 $219 $493
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 2% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index (the Index).
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity index futures), for cash equitization purposes.
Different common stocks have different weightings in the Index, depending on the amount of stock outstanding and the stock’s current price. In seeking to match the performance of the Index, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) attempts to allocate the Fund’s assets among common stocks in approximately the same weightings as the Index. This is referred to as a passive or indexing approach to investing.
As a result of the Fund’s indexing approach to investing, the Fund will typically emphasize within the portfolio those economic sectors emphasized by the Index, such as the information technology sector. The Fund may buy shares of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., an affiliate of the Investment Manager, which is currently included in the Index, subject to certain restrictions.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Correlation/Tracking Error Risk, Passive Investment Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Correlation/Tracking Error Risk. The Fund’s value will generally decline when the performance of the Index declines. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. The Fund also bears management and other expenses and transaction costs in trading securities or other instruments, which the Index does not bear. Accordingly, the Fund’s performance will likely fail to match the performance of the Index, after taking expenses into account. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not “actively” managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to its underlying index. The Fund invests in securities or instruments included in, or believed by the Investment Manager to be representative of, its underlying index, regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 13.54%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -13.96%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 04/25/2011 31.14% 11.34% 13.18%
Class 2 04/25/2011 30.79% 11.06% 12.93%
Class 3 05/01/2000 31.00% 11.21% 13.07%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Christopher Lo, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Vadim Shteyn   Associate Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2011
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.82% 0.82% 0.82%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.88% 1.13% 1.01%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.09%) (0.09%) (0.09%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.79% 1.04% 0.92%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.79% for Class 1, 1.04% for Class 2 and 0.915% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $272 $479 $1,076
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $106 $350 $614 $1,367
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $313 $549 $1,228
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 70% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) at the time of purchase in the common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, mid-cap companies are considered to be companies whose market capitalization falls within the market capitalization range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $64.6 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund invests typically in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Growth Securities Risk, and Sector Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 18.52%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -24.63%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 35.18% 11.33% 11.17%
Class 2 05/03/2010 34.83% 11.06% 10.91%
Class 3 05/01/2001 34.98% 11.19% 11.04%
Russell Midcap Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   35.47% 11.60% 14.24%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Matthew A. Litfin, CFA   Director of Research (U.S.) and Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Erika K. Maschmeyer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
John L. Emerson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
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Summary of Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Overseas Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.83% 0.83% 0.83%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.89% 1.14% 1.02%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $91 $284 $493 $1,096
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $116 $362 $628 $1,386
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $104 $325 $563 $1,248
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of foreign companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest directly in foreign equity securities, such as common and preferred stock, or indirectly through mutual funds and closed-end funds, as well as depositary receipts. The Fund may invest in securities of or relating to issuers believed to be undervalued (i.e., “value” stocks), represent growth opportunities (i.e., “growth” stocks), or both. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest in companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers, other corporate restructurings and other special situations. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures) and options (including options on stocks and indices), for both hedging and non-hedging purposes including, for example, for investment purposes to seek to enhance returns or, in certain circumstances, when holding a derivative is deemed preferable to holding the underlying asset. In particular, the Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s securities, to shift investment exposure from one currency to another, to shift U.S. dollar exposure to achieve a representative weighted mix of major currencies in its benchmark, or to adjust an underweight country exposure in its portfolio. The Fund may also invest in equity index futures to manage exposure to the securities market and to maintain equity market exposure while managing cash flows.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities Risk, Emerging Market Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world.
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying funds. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated underlying funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund.  The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all. The underlying funds may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in underlying funds, may not achieve its investment objective.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude,
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio
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Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2018 reflects returns achieved pursuant to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 18.06%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -20.53%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 25.47% 5.70% 5.69%
Class 2 05/03/2010 25.15% 5.42% 5.42%
Class 3 01/13/1992 25.32% 5.57% 5.57%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes
but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)
  22.01% 5.67% 5.50%
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Fred Copper, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Daisuke Nomoto, CMA (SAAJ)   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Select Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.71% 0.71% 0.71%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.73% 0.98% 0.86%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.01%) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.72% 0.97% 0.85%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.72% for Class 1, 0.97% for Class 2 and 0.845% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $74 $232 $405 $906
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $99 $311 $541 $1,200
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $87 $273 $476 $1,060
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 11% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which large market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach.
Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 40 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
98 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Prospectus 2020 99

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as another measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 16.14%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -19.21%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 26.75% 8.96% 12.78%
Class 2 05/03/2010 26.43% 8.68% 12.51%
Class 3 02/04/2004 26.54% 8.81% 12.64%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 11.80%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Richard Rosen   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2008
Richard Taft   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2016
100 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Prospectus 2020 101

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.82% 0.82% 0.82%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.88% 1.13% 1.01%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.07%) (0.07%) (0.07%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.81% 1.06% 0.94%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.81% for Class 1, 1.06% for Class 2 and 0.935% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $83 $274 $481 $1,078
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $108 $352 $616 $1,368
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $315 $551 $1,230
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 31% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations at the time of purchase fall within the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index) (between $72.6 million and $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund normally invests in common stocks and also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Focused Portfolio Risk, Market Risk, and Value Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 16.09%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -23.02%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 31.62% 7.04% 11.24%
Class 2 05/03/2010 31.25% 6.80% 10.99%
Class 3 05/02/2005 31.42% 6.93% 11.11%
Russell Midcap Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   27.06% 7.62% 12.41%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Kari Montanus   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Jonas Patrikson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2014
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Select Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.87% 0.87% 0.87%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.18% 0.18% 0.18%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.05% 1.30% 1.18%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.20%) (0.20%) (0.20%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.85% 1.10% 0.98%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.85% for Class 1, 1.10% for Class 2 and 0.975% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $87 $314 $560 $1,265
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $112 $392 $694 $1,550
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $100 $355 $630 $1,414
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 21% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.3 million and $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and securities of small-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 16.33%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -24.59%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 17.74% 5.00% 10.67%
Class 2 05/03/2010 17.44% 4.75% 10.40%
Class 3 09/15/1999 17.59% 4.88% 10.54%
Russell 2000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   22.39% 6.99% 10.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Kari Montanus   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Jonas Patrikson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, preservation of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.43% 0.43% 0.43%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses(a) 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.45% 0.70% 0.58%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $46 $144 $252 $567
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $72 $224 $390 $871
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $59 $186 $324 $726
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 335% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in mortgage-related securities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage-related securities that either are issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities. This includes, but is not limited to, Government National Mortgage
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) mortgage-backed bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; and Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) mortgage-backed bonds. FNMA and FHLMC are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress; however, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures) to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund
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Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments
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Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If
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Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2013 reflects returns achieved pursuant to a different investment objective and different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current investment objective and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 2.54%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -2.06%
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Summary of Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 6.73% 3.18% 2.61%
Class 2 05/03/2010 6.50% 2.93% 2.36%
Class 3 09/15/1999 6.61% 3.05% 2.49%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Mortgage-Backed Securities Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   6.35% 2.58% 3.15%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Co-Portfolio Manager   2012
Tom Heuer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2012
Ryan Osborn, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over the long term.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.51% 0.51% 0.51%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses(a) 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.71% 0.96% 0.84%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.06%) (0.06%) (0.06%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.65% 0.90% 0.78%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.65% for Class 1, 0.90% for Class 2 and 0.775% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $66 $221 $389 $877
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $92 $300 $525 $1,173
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $80 $262 $460 $1,032
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 62% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected debt securities. These securities include inflation-indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. Government and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The Fund invests only in securities rated investment grade at the time of purchase by a third-party rating agency or, if unrated, deemed by the management team to be of comparable quality. Up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in sectors outside the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays World Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index USD Hedged (the Index). The Fund seeks to maintain an average duration that is within a range of plus or minus 20% of the duration of the Index.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate, other bond, and index futures), options (including options on futures and indices) and swaps (including interest rate swaps and inflation rate swaps). The Fund may enter into derivatives for investment purposes, for risk management (hedging) purposes, to increase flexibility, to produce incremental earnings, and to manage duration, yield curve and interest rate exposure. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The management team may hedge any portion of the non-U.S. dollar denominated securities in the Fund to the U.S. dollar.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Inflation-Protected Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Derivatives Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain
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futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to October 2012 reflects returns achieved by the Investment Manager according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2016 4.03%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -5.80%
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Summary of CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 7.90% 3.43% 3.99%
Class 2 05/03/2010 7.63% 3.15% 3.74%
Class 3 09/13/2004 7.81% 3.29% 3.86%
Bloomberg Barclays World Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index USD Hedged (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.38% 4.08% 4.52%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (BlackRock)
Sub-Subadviser: BlackRock International Limited (BIL)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Christopher Allen, CFA   Managing Director of BIL   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Akiva Dickstein   Managing Director of BlackRock   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Emanuella Enenajor   Director of BlackRock   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2020
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.76% 0.76% 0.76%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.79% 1.04% 0.92%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $252 $439 $978
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $106 $331 $574 $1,271
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $293 $509 $1,131
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 39% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, the Fund considers mid-cap companies to be those whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $72.6 million to $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
subject to change. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. As a result of the bottom-up stock selection process, Victory Capital Management Inc. from time to time may find more compelling investment opportunities in certain economic sectors, such as the financial services sector.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Mid-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to November 2012 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadviser had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2010 13.89%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -20.17%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 28.20% 10.11% 12.70%
Class 2 05/03/2010 27.85% 9.84% 12.43%
Class 3 02/04/2004 28.01% 9.98% 12.58%
Russell Midcap Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   27.06% 7.62% 12.41%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Victory Capital Management Inc. (Victory Capital)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Gary Miller   Chief Investment Officer of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Lead Portfolio Manager   2012
Jeffrey Graff, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Gregory Conners   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
James Albers, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Michael Rodarte, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
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Summary of CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.69% 0.69% 0.69%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.70% 0.95% 0.83%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.01%) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.69% 0.94% 0.82%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.69% for Class 1, 0.94% for Class 2 and 0.815% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $223 $389 $870
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $302 $525 $1,165
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $84 $264 $460 $1,024
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 129% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities. Equity securities include, for example, common stock, preferred stock and convertible securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
Fundamental analysis and quantitative models are utilized in buying and selling investments for the Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2019 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadvisers and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 12.28%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -15.48%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 26.59% 9.14% 10.29%
Class 2 05/03/2010 26.21% 8.87% 10.03%
Class 3 05/01/2006 26.38% 9.01% 10.16%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Bruce Jacobs, Ph.D.   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Kenneth Levy, CFA   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Subadviser: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jeffrey Rottinghaus, CPA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Management fees 0.85% 0.85% 0.85%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.13%
Other expenses 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.89% 1.14% 1.02%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.01%) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.88% 1.13% 1.01%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.88% for Class 1, 1.13% for Class 2 and 1.005% for Class 3.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $90 $283 $492 $1,095
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $115 $361 $627 $1,385
Class 3 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $103 $324 $562 $1,247
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 75% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in small cap companies. For these purposes, small cap companies are those that have a market capitalization, at the time of investment, that falls within the range of the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) or up to $2.5 billion, whichever is greater. The Fund may buy and hold stock in a company that is not included in the Index. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.3 million to $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in any type of security, including common stocks and depositary receipts.
The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each of the subadvisers employs an active investment strategy that focuses on small cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what are believed to be undervalued securities. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Value Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and securities of small-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 3 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 3 shares (adjusted to reflect the higher class-related operating expenses of such share classes, where applicable) for periods prior to its inception date. Share classes with expenses that are higher than Class 3 shares will have performance that is lower than Class 3 shares. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2020 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers or a different allocation of the Fund’s assets among subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadvisers had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 4th Quarter 2011 15.44%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -20.11%
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/03/2010 19.80% 4.85% 9.01%
Class 2 05/03/2010 19.53% 4.58% 8.74%
Class 3 08/14/2001 19.66% 4.72% 8.87%
Russell 2000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   22.39% 6.99% 10.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Bruce Jacobs, Ph.D.   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Kenneth Levy, CFA   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Subadviser: Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (Nuveen Asset Management)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Karen L. Bowie, CFA   Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Nuveen Asset Management   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Subadviser: Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC (SBH)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Mark Dickherber, CFA, CPA   Principal, Director of Small Cap Strategies of SBH   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Shaun Nicholson   Principal, Senior Portfolio Manager of SBH   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Balanced Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (the Fund) seeks maximum total investment return through a combination of capital growth and current income. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests in a mix of equity and debt securities. The Fund’s assets are allocated among equity and debt securities (which includes cash and cash equivalents) based on an assessment of the relative risks and returns of each asset class. The Fund generally will invest between 35% and 65% of its net assets in each asset class, and in any event will invest at least 25% and no more than 75% of its net assets in each asset class under normal circumstances.
With respect to its equity securities investments, which may include among other types of equity securities, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities of companies that, at the time of purchase, have large market capitalizations (generally over $5 billion). The Fund may use value-oriented investing strategies, amongst others.
With respect to its debt securities investments, the Fund invests primarily in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality. These securities include debt securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and other debt securities with intermediate- to long-term maturities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures). The Fund may invest in derivatives for both hedging and non-hedging (investment) purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset, as well as to manage duration, yield curve and/or interest rate exposure.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s assets are allocated among equity and debt securities (which includes cash and cash equivalents) based on an assessment of the relative risks and returns of each asset class.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, (the Investment Manager) evaluates the relative attractiveness of each potential investment in constructing the Fund’s portfolio by considering a wide variety of factors, techniques and strategies, which for equity investments may include, among other criteria, fundamental and risk analysis, and economic and market data, conditions and expectations, and for debt investments may include, among other criteria, the creditworthiness of the issuer, the various features of the debt instrument, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity and call features, value relative to other investments, local, national and global economic and market conditions, interest rate movements and other relevant factors in allocating the Fund’s assets among issuers, securities, industry sectors and maturities.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
The Investment Manager may sell a security: when the Fund’s asset allocation changes; when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects, or that other investments are more attractive; if the security is believed to be overvalued relative to other potential investments; when the company no longer meets the Investment Manager’s performance expectation; if there is deterioration in a debt instrument’s credit rating; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Large-Cap Stock RiskInterest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, and Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be
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More Information About Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be
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disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
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Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity,
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and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Guy Pope, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Contrarian Core Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2011
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Portfolio Manager   2018
Gregory Liechty   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2011
Ronald Stahl, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Short Duration and Stable Value Team   Portfolio Manager   2011
Mr. Pope joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1993. Mr. Pope began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. from Colorado College and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University.
Mr. Callan joined the Investment Manager in 2007. Mr. Callan began his investment career in 2004 and earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Mr. Liechty joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2005. Mr. Liechty began his investment career in 1995 and earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of North Florida.
Mr. Stahl joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1998. Mr. Stahl began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. from Oregon State University and an M.B.A. from Portland State University.
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Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers employ a process that applies fundamental investment concepts in a systematic framework seeking to identify and exploit mispriced stocks. The Fund benefits from collaboration between quantitative and fundamental research to create sector and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models, which are utilized by the portfolio managers when constructing a diversified portfolio.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio which may include, among others, the following:
Valuation factors, such as earnings and cash flow relative to market values;
Catalyst factors, such as relative stock price performance, business momentum, and short interest measures; and
Quality factors, such as quality of earnings and financial strength.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when it believes other stocks in the Index or other investments are more attractive, if the security is believed to be overvalued relative to other potential investments, when the company no longer meets the Investment Manager’s performance expectation, when the security is removed from the Index, or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Quantitative Model Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Active Management Risk. While security selection is driven by fundamental concepts, a quantitative process is used to construct the portfolio. Additionally, a qualitative review of the quantitative output is conducted by the portfolio managers. Therefore, the Fund’s performance will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make active, qualitative decisions, including allocation decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such
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contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
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Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Condon, CFA, CAIA*   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Quantitative Strategies   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Peter Albanese   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Raghavendran Sivaraman, Ph.D., CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Mr. Condon joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1999. Mr. Condon began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. from Bryant University and an M.S. in finance from Bentley University.
Mr. Albanese joined the Investment Manager in August 2014. Mr. Albanese began his investment career in 1991 and earned a B.S. from Stony Brook University and an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
Dr. Sivaraman joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2007.  Dr. Sivaraman began his investment career in 2007 and earned a B.Tech. in Computer Science Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
* Brian Condon has announced that he plans to retire from the Investment Manager, on May 31, 2020. Until then, Mr. Condon will continue to serve as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Dividend
Opportunity Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income and, as a secondary objective, steady growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in equity securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. The selection of dividend-paying stocks is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio. The Fund invests principally in securities of companies believed to be attractively valued and to have the potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objectives, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments by applying quantitative screens to determine yield potential. The Investment Manager conducts fundamental research on securities and seeks to purchase potentially attractive securities based on its analysis of various factors, which may include one or more of the following, as well as other, statistical measures:
Current yield;
Dividend growth capability (considering a company’s financial statements and management’s ability to increase the dividend if it chooses to do so) and dividend history;
Balance sheet strength;
Earnings per share and free cash flow sustainability; and/or
Dividend payout ratio.
Preference is generally given to higher dividend-paying companies. The Investment Manager also considers top-down or macroeconomic factors. The Fund typically uses the S&P 500 Index for dividend yield comparison purposes.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Opportunity Fund (continued)
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a
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Opportunity Fund (continued)
number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Opportunity Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David King, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Yan Jin   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Mr. King joined the Investment Manager in 2010. Mr. King began his investment career in 1983 and earned a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Jin joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2002. Mr. Jin began his investment career in 1998 and earned a M.A. in economics from North Carolina State University.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities (including, but not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks) of companies located in emerging market countries. The Fund may also gain exposure to such companies through investment in depositary receipts. Depository receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment.
The Fund may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector. However, the Fund has invested substantially in the consumer discretionary, financial services and information technology sectors and may continue to invest substantially in these or other sectors in the future. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
The Fund may invest in securities that the investment manager believes are undervalued, represent growth opportunities, or both.
The investment manager employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio.
In selecting investments, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers, among other factors:
various measures of valuation, including price-to-cash flow, price-to-earnings, price-to-sales, price-to-book value and discounted cash flow. The Investment Manager believes that companies with lower valuations are generally more likely to provide opportunities for capital appreciation;
potential indicators of stock price appreciation, such as anticipated earnings growth, company restructuring, changes in management, business model changes, new product opportunities, or anticipated improvements in macroeconomic factors;
the financial condition and management of a company, including its competitive position, the quality of its balance sheet and earnings, its future prospects, and the potential for growth and stock price appreciation; and/or
overall economic and market conditions.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Emerging Market Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Geographic Focus Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and
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economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. A number of countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact that country, other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified in a region with more developed countries and economies. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Continued growth of economies and securities markets in the region will require sustained economic and fiscal discipline, as well as continued commitment to governmental
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and regulatory reforms. Development also may be influenced by international economic conditions, including those in the United States and Japan, and by world demand for goods or natural resources produced in countries in the Asia Pacific region. Securities markets in the region are generally smaller and have a lower trading volume than those in the United States, which may result in the securities of some companies in the region being less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities. Some currencies, inflation rates or interest rates in the Asia Pacific region are or can be volatile, and some countries in the region may restrict the flow of money in and out of the country. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk” and  “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. The Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Chinese economies are dependent on the economies of other countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from other emerging economies in Asia with lower costs. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties. The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak have exacerbated political and diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, which could adversely affect international trade and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Changes in Chinese government policy and economic growth rates could significantly affect local markets and the entire Greater China region. China has yet to develop comprehensive securities, corporate, or commercial laws, its market is relatively new and less developed, and its economy is experiencing a relative slowdown. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
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Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may
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operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Initial public offerings are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in initial public offerings, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an initial public offering are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in initial public offerings may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dara White, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2012
Robert Cameron   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2012
Young Kim   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2015
Perry Vickery, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Derek Lin, CFA
  Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Mr. White joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2006. Mr. White began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Marketing from Boston College.
Mr. Cameron joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2008. He was a portfolio manager and managing member of Cameron Global Investments LLC during the period 2003 to 2008. Mr. Cameron began his investment career in 1983 and earned a B.A. from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Kim joined the Investment Manager in 2011. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Kim served as a senior equity analyst at Marathon Asset Management and Galleon Asia Management and worked in various operating and engineering roles in the technology industry. Mr. Kim began his investment career in 2005 and earned a B.S. and M.S. in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Vickery joined the Investment Manager in 2010. Mr. Vickery began his investment career in 2006 and earned a B.B.A. at the University of Georgia and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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Mr. Lin joined the Investment Manager in 2019. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Lin worked as a senior analyst at Yulan Capital, LLC Group and previously worked as an analyst at Surveyor Capital (Citadel, LLC.), Merchants’ Gate Capital, LP and J.P. Morgan Securities. Mr. Lin began his investment career in 2006 and earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
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Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through income and growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in debt obligations of issuers located in at least three different countries (which may include the U.S.). Debt obligations include debt securities and instruments, including money market instruments, either issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by (i) the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, (ii) non-U.S. governments, their agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, or (iii) corporate or other non-governmental entities. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest significantly in below investment-grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”) in seeking to achieve higher dividends and/or capital appreciation.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas and may invest in issuers in emerging markets. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In addition, in pursuing its objective, the Fund, employing fundamental analysis, may enter into various currency-, interest rate- and credit-related transactions involving derivatives instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures contracts (including currency, index, interest rate, and other bond futures), and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, inflation rate swaps, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps). The use of these derivative instruments allows the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies, interest rates, credit risks and duration risks. The Fund may use these derivatives as well as “to be announced” (TBA) mortgage-backed securities in an effort to leverage exposures and produce incremental earnings, for hedging purposes, to obtain increased or decreased exposures to various markets/sectors or to increase investment flexibility. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements, assessments of market conditions, macroeconomic analysis and qualitative valuation analysis.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Investment Manager also considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements and other relevant factors in allocating the Fund’s assets among issuers, securities, industry sectors and maturities.
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The Investment Manager, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and/or capital appreciation. The Investment Manager considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, duration, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities.
The Investment Manager may sell a security if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Credit Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). The effectiveness of any currency strategy by a Fund may be reduced by the Fund's inability to precisely match forward
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  contract amounts and the value of securities involved. Forward foreign currency contracts used for hedging may also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase or decrease in the value of the currency. Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A bond (or debt instrument) future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a bond or other debt instrument, a basket of bonds or other debt instrument, or the bonds or other debt instruments in an index on a specified date at a predetermined price. The buyer (long position) of a bond future is obliged to buy the underlying reference at the agreed price on expiry of the future.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
An inflation rate swap is a derivative typically used to transfer inflation risk from one party to another through an exchange of cash flows. In an inflation rate swap, one party pays a fixed rate on a notional principal amount, while the other party pays a floating rate linked to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
Total return swaps are derivative swap transactions in which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return of a defined underlying reference during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return of a different underlying reference.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Restrictions on currency trading may be imposed by foreign countries, which may adversely affect the
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value of your investment in the Fund. Even though the currencies of some countries may be pegged to the U.S. dollar, the conversion rate may be controlled by government regulation or intervention at levels significantly different than what would normally prevail in a free market. Significant revaluations of the U.S. dollar exchange rate of these currencies could cause substantial reductions in the Fund’s NAV.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
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High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund's assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund's obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an
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interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions,
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workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a
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particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debtholders. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. From time to time, the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) may engage its Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Fund. These Affiliates will provide services to these accounts of the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Fund will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions and, where required, the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of these Affiliates may serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in this prospectus and the Fund's SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures, may provide such services to the Fund.
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Gene Tannuzzo, CFA   Deputy Global Head of Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Tim Jagger   Head of Emerging Market Debt and Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Ryan Staszewski, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Mr. Tannuzzo joined the Investment Manager in 2003. Mr. Tannuzzo began his investment career in 2003 and earned a B.S.B. and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.
Mr. Jagger joined Threadneedle, a Participating Affiliate, in 2017 as a Director in Threadneedle's Singapore office and was elevated to his current role as Head of Emerging Market Debt in Threadneedle's London office in 2018. Prior to joining Threadneedle, Mr. Jagger was a Senior Portfolio Manager, Asian Credit, and the lead manager for Asian High Yield funds at Aviva Investors from 2012 through 2016. Mr. Jagger began his investment career in 1992 and earned a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland).
Mr. Staszewski joined Threadneedle, a Participating Affiliate, in 2012 as an investment grade credit analyst and was elevated to his current role as Senior Portfolio Manager in 2015. Mr. Staszewski began his investment career in 2002 and earned a Bachelor of commerce degree in economics and finance from Curtin University, Western Australia.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash. For purposes of this policy, “government securities” are any securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the Government of the United States pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United States, or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
The Fund typically invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund invests in a portfolio of securities maturing in 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing the operation of money market funds) that will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less.
The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and other rules of the SEC. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in government securities and/or repurchase securities that are collateralized by government securities. The Fund will only purchase government securities, cash, repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash, and up to 0.5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in other securities that present minimal credit risk as determined by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager (the Investment Manager), pursuant to guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees of the Fund has determined that the Fund will not be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates at this time.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the Investment Manager observes the macro environment to set a framework for portfolio construction, including looking for positive and negative trends in the economy and market. In evaluating whether to purchase a security, the Investment Manager:
Considers opportunities and risks given current interest rates and anticipated interest rates.
Purchases securities based on the timing of cash flows in and out of the Fund.
Considers the impact of the purchase on the Fund’s average maturity and duration.
Considers a security’s yield, relative value and credit characteristics.
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors, whether in its view:
The issuer’s fundamentals are deteriorating.
Political, economic, or other events could affect the issuer’s performance.
The Investment Manager believes that it has identified a more attractive opportunity.
The issuer or the security no longer meets the security selection criteria described above.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Money Market Fund Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below.
You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Although the Fund seeks to preserve the net asset value (NAV) of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of a security or instrument in the Fund’s portfolio may or will decline in price if the issuer fails to pay interest or repay principal when due. The value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer of the instrument defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or general economic conditions. Debt instruments backed by an issuer's taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer's power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt instruments are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer's taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. If the Fund purchases unrated debt instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. The Fund’s yield will vary; it is not fixed for a specific period like the yield on a bank certificate of deposit. Under certain circumstances, the yield decline could cause the Fund’s net yield to be negative (such as when Fund expenses exceed income levels). Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition,
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More Information About Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Risk. Although government money market funds (such as the Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.
At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
It is possible that, during periods of low prevailing interest rates or otherwise, the income from portfolio securities may be less than the amount needed to pay ongoing Fund operating expenses and may prevent payment of any dividends or distributions to Fund shareholders or cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In such cases, the Fund may reduce or eliminate the payment of such dividends or distributions or seek to reduce certain of its operating expenses. There is no guarantee that such actions would enable the Fund to maintain a constant NAV of $1.00 per share.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
When-Issued, Delayed Settlement and Forward Commitment Transactions, Including U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Notes Risk. When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. A Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the purchase and settlement dates. Such transactions include floating rate obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. A decline in interest rates may result in a reduction in income received from floating rate securities held by the Fund and may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Generally, floating rate securities carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity. The interest rate for a floating rate note resets or adjusts periodically by reference to a benchmark interest rate. The impact of interest rate changes on floating rate investments is typically mitigated by the periodic interest rate reset of the investments. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The supply of floating rate notes issued by the U.S. Treasury will be limited. There is no guarantee or assurance that: the Fund will be able to invest in a desired amount of floating rate notes or be able to buy floating rate notes at a desirable price; floating rate notes will continue to be issued by the U.S. Treasury; or floating rate notes will be actively traded. Any or all of the foregoing, should they occur, would negatively impact the Fund.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, capital growth. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield debt instruments (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds or securities). These high yield debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as floating rate loans rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities. Floating rate loans, which are another form of financing, are typically secured, with interest rates that adjust or “float” periodically (normally on a daily, monthly, quarterly or semiannual basis by reference to a base lending rate, such as London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR), plus a premium). Secured debt instruments are ordinarily secured by specific collateral or assets of the issuer or borrower such that holders of these instruments will have claims senior to the claims of other parties who hold unsecured instruments.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments by:
Rigorous, in-house credit research using a proprietary risk and relative value rating system with the goal of generating strong risk-adjusted returns;
A process focused on seeking to identify issuers with improving credit quality characterized by several factors including:
stable and strengthening cash flows,
the ability to de-leverage through free cash flow,
asset valuations supporting debt,
strong management,
strong and sustainable market positioning, and/or
access to capital;
A top down assessment of broad economic and market conditions to determine quality and industry weightings;
Review of the legal documentation supporting the loan, including an analysis of the covenants and the rights and remedies of the lender.
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More Information About Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
In evaluating whether to sell an investment, considerations by the Investment Manager include but are not limited to:
Deterioration in the issuer’s results relative to analyst expectations,
Inability of the issuer to de-leverage,
Reduced asset coverage for the issuer,
Deterioration in the issuer’s competitive position,
Reduced access to capital for the issuer,
Changes in the issuer’s management,
Whether the Investment Manager’s price target for the security has been achieved, and/or
The investment’s potential upside/downside compared to other investments or investment opportunities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. In many instances, issuers of floating rate loans offer to furnish material, non-public information (Confidential Information) to prospective purchasers or holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans to help potential investors assess the value of the loan. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of Confidential Information about the issuers of floating rate loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information from these issuers may disadvantage the Fund as compared to other floating rate loan investors, and may adversely affect the price the Fund pays for the loans it purchases, or the price at which the Fund sells the loans. Further, in situations when holders of floating rate loans are asked, for example, to grant consents, waivers or amendments, the ability to assess the desirability thereof may be compromised. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
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More Information About Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations
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and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may consist of transactions involving refinancings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions and other financings for general corporate purposes. The Fund’s investments also may include senior obligations of a borrower issued in connection with a restructuring pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (commonly known as “debtor-in-possession” financings), provided that such senior obligations are determined by the Fund’s portfolio managers to be a suitable investment for the Fund. In such highly leveraged transactions, the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Such business objectives may include but are not limited to: management’s taking over control of a company (leveraged buy-out); reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a company (leveraged recapitalization); or acquiring another company. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and
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central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair
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market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). This exposes the Fund to the risk that the receipt of principal and interest payments may be late due to delayed interest settlement. Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets, although many covenants may be waived or modified with the consent of a certain percentage of the holders of the loans even if the Fund does not consent. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, including the Fund. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders. The remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. From time to time, disagreements may arise amongst the holders of loans and debt in the capital structure of an issuer, which may give rise to litigation risks, including the risk that a court could take action adverse to the holders of the loan, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund will usually succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and the Fund normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund would also be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund’s pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may also be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank’s financial condition.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be
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magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Lavin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of U.S. High Yield, Co-Head Global High Yield   Lead Portfolio Manager   2010
Daniel J. DeYoung   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2019
Mr. Lavin joined the Investment Manager in 1994. Mr. Lavin began his investment career in 1986 and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Mr. DeYoung joined the Investment Manager in 2013. Mr. DeYoung began his investment career in 2005 and earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
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Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high total return through current income and capital appreciation. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s assets are invested primarily in income-producing debt securities, with an emphasis on the higher rated segment of the high-yield (junk bond) market. These income-producing debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as bank loans. The Fund will purchase only debt instruments rated B or above, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality. If a debt instrument falls below a B rating after investment by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the instrument.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities. Floating rate loans, which are another form of financing, are typically secured, with interest rates that adjust or “float” periodically (normally on a daily, monthly, quarterly or semiannual basis by reference to a base lending rate, such as London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR), plus a premium). Secured debt instruments are ordinarily secured by specific collateral or assets of the issuer or borrower such that holders of these instruments will have claims senior to the claims of other parties who hold unsecured instruments.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments using:
Rigorous, in-house credit research using a proprietary risk and relative value rating system with the goal of generating strong risk-adjusted returns;
A process focused on seeking to identify issuers with improving credit quality characterized by several factors including:
stable and strengthening cash flows,
the ability to de-leverage through free cash flow,
asset valuations supporting debt,
strong management,
strong and sustainable market positioning, and/or
access to capital;
A top down assessment of broad economic and market conditions to determine quality and industry weightings;
Review of the legal documentation supporting the loan, including an analysis of the covenants and the rights and remedies of the lender.
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In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors:
Deterioration in the issuer’s results relative to analyst expectations,
Inability of the issuer to de-leverage,
Reduced asset coverage for the issuer,
Deterioration in the issuer’s competitive position,
Reduced access to capital for the issuer,
Changes in the issuer’s management,
Whether the Investment Manager’s price target for the security has been achieved, and/or
The investment’s potential upside/downside compared to other investments or investment opportunities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. In many instances, issuers of floating rate loans offer to furnish material, non-public information (Confidential Information) to prospective purchasers or holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans to help potential investors assess the value of the loan. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of Confidential Information about the issuers of floating rate loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information from these issuers may disadvantage the Fund as compared to other floating rate loan investors, and may adversely affect the price the Fund pays for the loans it purchases, or the price at which the Fund sells the loans. Further, in situations when holders of floating rate loans are asked, for example, to grant consents, waivers or amendments, the ability to assess the desirability thereof may be compromised. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations
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and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may consist of transactions involving refinancings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions and other financings for general corporate purposes. The Fund’s investments also may include senior obligations of a borrower issued in connection with a restructuring pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (commonly known as “debtor-in-possession” financings), provided that such senior obligations are determined by the Fund’s portfolio managers to be a suitable investment for the Fund. In such highly leveraged transactions, the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Such business objectives may include but are not limited to: management’s taking over control of a company (leveraged buy-out); reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a company (leveraged recapitalization); or acquiring another company. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and
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central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair
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market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). This exposes the Fund to the risk that the receipt of principal and interest payments may be late due to delayed interest settlement. Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets, although many covenants may be waived or modified with the consent of a certain percentage of the holders of the loans even if the Fund does not consent. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, including the Fund. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders. The remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. From time to time, disagreements may arise amongst the holders of loans and debt in the capital structure of an issuer, which may give rise to litigation risks, including the risk that a court could take action adverse to the holders of the loan, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund will usually succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and the Fund normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund would also be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund’s pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may also be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank’s financial condition.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be
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magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Lavin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of U.S. High Yield, Co-Head Global High Yield   Lead Portfolio Manager   2004
Daniel J. DeYoung   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2019
Mr. Lavin joined the Investment Manager in 1994. Mr. Lavin began his investment career in 1986 and earned an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.
Mr. DeYoung joined the Investment Manager in 2013. Mr. DeYoung began his investment career in 2005 and earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
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Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while attempting to conserve the value of the investment for the longest period of time. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, and interest rate swaps) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk.
The selection of debt obligations is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) evaluates a number of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio.
The Investment Manager, in connection with selecting individual investments for the Fund, evaluates a security based on its potential to generate income and/or capital appreciation. The Investment Manager considers, among other factors, the creditworthiness of the issuer of the security and the various features of the security, such as its interest rate, yield, maturity, any call features and value relative to other securities. The Investment Manager also considers local, national and global economic conditions, market conditions, interest rate movements and other relevant factors in allocating the Fund’s assets among issuers, securities, industry sectors and maturities.
The Investment Manager may sell a security if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances, or that other investments are more attractive; if there is deterioration in a security’s credit rating; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
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The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a
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default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
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Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
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High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the
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Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result
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in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and
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yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Gene Tannuzzo, CFA   Deputy Global Head of Fixed Income and Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Mr. Callan joined the Investment Manager in 2007. Mr. Callan began his investment career in 2004 and earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Mr. Tannuzzo joined the Investment Manager in 2003. Mr. Tannuzzo began his investment career in 2003 and earned a B.S.B. and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies.
In selecting investments, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Investment Manager considers, among other factors:
overall economic and market conditions; and
the financial condition and management of a company, including its competitive position, the quality of its balance sheet and earnings, its future prospects, and the potential for growth and stock price appreciation.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Sector Risk, Market Risk, Growth Securities Risk and Large-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks
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associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure
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to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Melda Mergen, CFA, CAIA   Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director and Deputy Global Head of Equities   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Peter Santoro, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Tchintcia Barros, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Ms. Mergen joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1999. Ms. Mergen began her investment career in 1999 and earned a B.A. from Bogazici University and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Mr. Santoro joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2003. Mr. Santoro began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.A. from Amherst College.
Ms. Barros joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2005. Ms. Barros began her investment career in 2000 and earned a B.A. in economics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index (the Index).
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity index futures), for cash equitization purposes.
Different common stocks have different weightings in the Index, depending on the amount of stock outstanding and the stock’s current price. In seeking to match the performance of the Index, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) attempts to allocate the Fund’s assets among common stocks in approximately the same weightings as the Index. This is referred to as a passive or indexing approach to investing.
As a result of the Fund’s indexing approach to investing, the Fund will typically emphasize within the portfolio those economic sectors emphasized by the Index, such as the information technology sector. The Fund may buy shares of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., an affiliate of the Investment Manager, which is currently included in the Index, subject to certain restrictions.
The Fund attempts to achieve at least a 95% correlation between the performance of the Index and the Fund’s investment results, before fees and expenses. A correlation of 1.00 means the return of the Fund can be completely explained by the return of the Index. The Fund’s ability to track the Index is affected by, among other things, transaction costs and other expenses (which the Index does not incur), changes in the composition of the Index, changes in the number of shares issued by the companies represented in the Index, and by the timing and amount of Fund shareholder purchases and redemptions.
In the event a correlation of 0.95 or better is not achieved, the Fund’s Board of Trustees will consider alternative arrangements.
The Fund may change its target Index for a different index if the current Index is discontinued or if the Board believes a different index would better enable the Fund to match the performance of the market segment represented by the current Index. The substitute index will measure the same general segment of the market as the current Index.
The Investment Manager may sell a stock when the stock’s percentage weighting in the index is reduced, when the stock is removed from the index, if the timing of cash flows in and out of the Fund requires it to sell a security, corporate actions have affected the issuer (such as corporate reorganizations, mergers or acquisitions) or for other reasons.
Although index funds, by their nature, tend to be tax-efficient investments, the Fund generally is managed without regard to tax efficiency.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Correlation/Tracking Error Risk, Passive Investment Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Correlation/Tracking Error Risk. The Fund’s value will generally decline when the performance of the Index declines. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. The factors that may adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index include, among others, the size of the Fund’s portfolio, fees, expenses, transaction costs, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards, the effectiveness of sampling techniques (if applicable), changes in the Index and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests. While the Fund typically seeks to track the performance of the Index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the components of the Index in approximately the same proportion as their weighting in the Index, at times, the Fund may not have investment exposure to all components of the Index, or its weighting of investment exposure to such components may be different from that of the Index. In addition, the Fund may invest in securities or other instruments not included in the Index. The Fund may take or refrain from taking investment positions for various reasons, such as tax efficiency purposes, or to comply with regulatory restrictions, which may negatively affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being over- or under-exposed to certain components of the Index and may be impacted by Index reconstitutions and Index rebalancing events. Holding cash balances may detract from the Fund’s ability to track the Index. In addition, the Fund’s NAV may deviate from the Index if the Fund fair values a portfolio security at a price other than the price used by the Index for that security. The Fund also bears management and other expenses and transaction costs in trading securities or other instruments, which the Index does not bear. Accordingly, the Fund’s performance will likely fail to match the performance of the Index, after taking expenses into account. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Index and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the
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market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude,
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duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Christopher Lo, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Vadim Shteyn   Associate Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2011
Dr. Lo joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1998. Dr. Lo began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. and M.E. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a doctoral degree in professional studies (DPS) from Pace University, with a concentration in finance and international economics.
Mr. Shteyn joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2006. Mr. Shteyn began his investment career in 2006.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) at the time of purchase in the common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, mid-cap companies are considered to be companies whose market capitalization falls within the market capitalization range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $64.6 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund invests typically in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies.
The investment manager employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers, among other factors:
overall economic and market conditions; and
the financial condition and management of a company, including its competitive position, the quality of its balance sheet and earnings, its future prospects, and the potential for growth and stock price appreciation.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Growth Securities Risk, and Sector Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws,
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regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the
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uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Initial public offerings are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in initial public offerings, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an initial public offering are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in initial public offerings may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
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Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates, including Columbia WAM (Affiliates), around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. From time to time, the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) may engage its Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Fund. These Affiliates will provide services to these accounts of the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Fund will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators and, where required, the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of Columbia WAM and other Affiliates may serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in this prospectus and the Fund's SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures, may provide such services to the Fund.
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Matthew A. Litfin, CFA   Director of Research (U.S.) and Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Erika K. Maschmeyer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
John L. Emerson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory affiliate of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, and Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Mr. Litfin joined Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC (Columbia WAM), an Affiliate, in 2015. Prior to joining Columbia WAM, Mr. Litfin served as a portfolio manager and analyst for funds that invested in small- and mid-cap companies. Mr. Litfin began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.S. from the University of Tennessee and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
Ms. Maschmeyer joined Columbia WAM, an Affiliate, in 2016. Prior to joining Columbia WAM, Ms. Maschmeyer was a research analyst at an investment advisory firm where she was responsible for U.S. consumer discretionary/staples investments. Ms. Maschmeyer began her investment career in 2001 and earned a B.A. from Denison University and an M.B.A from the University of Chicago.
Mr. Emerson joined Columbia WAM, an Affiliate, in 2003. Prior to joining Columbia WAM, Mr. Emerson was an equity research analyst for an equity research firm. Mr. Emerson began his investment career in 2002 and earned a B.S. from the University of Missouri and an M.B.A from the University of Chicago.
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Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of foreign companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest directly in foreign equity securities, such as common and preferred stock, or indirectly through mutual funds and closed-end funds, as well as depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may invest in securities of or relating to issuers believed to be undervalued (i.e., “value” stocks), represent growth opportunities (i.e., “growth” stocks), or both. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest in companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers, other corporate restructurings and other special situations. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures) and options (including options on stocks and indices), for both hedging and non-hedging purposes including, for example, for investment purposes to seek to enhance returns or, in certain circumstances, when holding a derivative is deemed preferable to holding the underlying asset. In particular, the Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s securities, to shift investment exposure from one currency to another, to shift U.S. dollar exposure to achieve a representative weighted mix of major currencies in its benchmark, or to adjust an underweight country exposure in its portfolio. The Fund may also invest in equity index futures to manage exposure to the securities market and to maintain equity market exposure while managing cash flows.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The investment manager employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying growth or value opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio.
In selecting investments, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers, among other factors:
businesses that are believed to be fundamentally sound and undervalued due to investor indifference, investor misperception of company prospects, or other factors;
various measures of valuation, including price-to-cash flow, price-to-earnings, price-to-sales, and price-to-book value. The Investment Manager believes that companies with lower valuations are generally more likely to provide opportunities for capital appreciation;
a company’s current operating margins relative to its historic range and future potential; and/or
potential indicators of stock price appreciation, such as anticipated earnings growth, company restructuring, changes in management, business model changes, new product opportunities or anticipated improvements in macroeconomic factors.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities Risk, Emerging Market Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse
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movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the
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exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays
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in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single EU country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the UK voted to leave the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). On January 31, 2020, the UK formally exited the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there is a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the UK and European
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economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. For more information on the risks associated with Brexit, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. A significant portion of Japan's trade is conducted with developing nations in East and Southeast Asia and its economy can be affected by conditions and currency fluctuations in these and other countries. For a number of years, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. Securities in Japan are denominated and quoted in yen. As a result, the value of the Fund's Japanese securities as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Securities traded on Japanese stock exchanges have exhibited significant volatility in recent years. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the underlying funds. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the underlying funds. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated underlying funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund.  The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the
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extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
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Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive
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governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Initial public offerings are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in initial public offerings, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an initial public offering are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in initial public offerings may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments.
With respect to the Fund, the Fund’s Board has approved a subadvisory agreement between the Investment Manager and Threadneedle International Limited (Threadneedle), an affiliate of the Investment Manager and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. At present, Threadneedle is not providing services to the Fund pursuant to the subadvisory agreement. Threadneedle previously provided subadvisory services pursuant to the subadvisory agreement from July 2004 through April 30, 2018, and the Investment Manager may in the future determine to re-allocate Fund assets to Threadneedle to serve the Fund in a subadvisory capacity. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Threadneedle is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Fred Copper, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Daisuke Nomoto, CMA (SAAJ)   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Mr. Copper joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2005. Mr. Copper began his investment career in 1990 and earned a B.S. from Boston College and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Mr. Nomoto joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2005. Mr. Nomoto began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. from Shiga University, Japan.
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Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which large market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach.
Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 40 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers use a bottom-up stock selection approach, which means that they concentrate on individual company fundamentals, rather than on a particular industry, although at times factors that make a particular company attractive may also make other companies within the same industry attractive, and the portfolio managers may invest in these issuers as well. 
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio which may include, among others, the following:
a low price-to-earnings and/or low price-to-book ratio;
positive change in senior management;
positive corporate restructuring;
temporary setback in price due to factors that no longer exist or are ending;
a positive shift in the company’s business cycle; and/or
a catalyst for increase in the rate of the company’s earnings growth.
The Investment Manager generally sells a stock if it believes the stock has become fully valued, its fundamentals have deteriorated, or ongoing evaluation reveals that there are more attractive investment opportunities available. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s holdings, remaining sensitive to overvaluation and deteriorating fundamentals.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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Value Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market
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Value Fund (continued)
countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Richard Rosen   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2008
Richard Taft   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2016
Mr. Rosen joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1997. Mr. Rosen began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from New York University.
Mr. Taft joined the Investment Manager in 2011. Mr. Taft began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University at Buffalo.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations at the time of purchase fall within the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index) (between $72.6 million and $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund normally invests in common stocks and also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
The investment manager employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying value opportunities and constructing the Fund's portfolio.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers use a bottom-up stock selection approach, which means that they concentrate on individual company fundamentals, rather than on a particular industry, although at times factors that make a particular company attractive may also make other companies within the same industry attractive, and the portfolio managers may invest in these issuers as well. 
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio which may include, among others, the following:
a low price-to-earnings and/or low price-to-book ratio;
positive change in senior management;
positive corporate restructuring;
temporary setback in price due to factors that no longer exist or are ending;
a positive shift in the company’s business cycle; and/or
a catalyst for increase in the rate of the company’s earnings growth.
The Investment Manager generally sells a stock if it believes the stock has become fully valued, its fundamentals have deteriorated, or ongoing evaluation reveals that there are more attractive investment opportunities available. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s holdings, remaining sensitive to overvaluation and deteriorating fundamentals.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Focused Portfolio Risk, Market Risk, and Value Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Kari Montanus   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2018
Jonas Patrikson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2014
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
Ms. Montanus joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2003. Ms. Montanus began her investment career in 1992 and earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. in finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Patrikson joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2004. Mr. Patrikson began his investment career in 1990 and earned a B.A. from the University of Linkoping, Sweden.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.3 million and $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers use a bottom-up stock selection approach, which means that they concentrate on individual company fundamentals, rather than on a particular industry, although at times factors that make a particular company attractive may also make other companies within the same industry attractive, and the portfolio managers may invest in these issuers as well. 
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio which may include, among others, the following:
a low price-to-earnings and/or low price-to-book ratio;
positive change in senior management;
positive corporate restructuring;
temporary setback in price due to factors that no longer exist or are ending;
a positive shift in the company’s business cycle; and/or
a catalyst for increase in the rate of the company’s earnings growth.
The Investment Manager generally sells a stock if it believes the stock has become fully valued, its fundamentals have deteriorated, or ongoing evaluation reveals that there are more attractive investment opportunities available. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s holdings, remaining sensitive to overvaluation and deteriorating fundamentals.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
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More Information About Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)
in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Kari Montanus   Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Jonas Patrikson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2018
Ms. Montanus joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2003. Ms. Montanus began her investment career in 1992 and earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. in finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Patrikson joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2004. Mr. Patrikson began his investment career in 1990 and earned a B.A. from the University of Linkoping, Sweden.
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More Information About Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, preservation of capital. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in mortgage-related securities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage-related securities that either are issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities. This includes, but is not limited to, Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) mortgage-backed bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; and Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) mortgage-backed bonds. FNMA and FHLMC are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress; however, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures) to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments by considering, among other factors:
Relative value within the U.S. Government mortgage sector.
The interest rate outlook.
The yield curve.
The yield curve is a graphic representation of the yields of bonds of the same quality but different maturities. A graph showing an upward trend with short-term rates lower than long-term rates is called a positive yield curve, while a downward trend is a negative or inverted yield curve.
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors, whether in its view:
The interest rate or economic outlook changes.
The security is overvalued relative to alternative investments.
A more attractive opportunity exists.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
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More Information About Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (continued)
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in
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Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which
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are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also
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been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other
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circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
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Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
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Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jason Callan   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Structured Assets   Co-Portfolio Manager   2012
Tom Heuer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2012
Ryan Osborn, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2019
Mr. Callan joined the Investment Manager in 2007. Mr. Callan began his investment career in 2004 and earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Mr. Heuer joined the Investment Manager in 1993. Mr. Heuer began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Mr. Osborn joined the Investment Manager in 2004. Mr. Osborn began his investment career in 2004 and earned a B.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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More Information About CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over the long term. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected debt securities. These securities include inflation-indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. Government and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The Fund invests only in securities rated investment grade at the time of purchase by a third-party rating agency or, if unrated, deemed by the management team to be of comparable quality. Split-rated securities are considered to have the higher credit rating. Split-rated securities are those that receive different credit ratings from two or more rating agencies. Inflation-protected securities are designed to protect the future purchasing power of the money invested in them. The value of the bond’s principal or the interest income paid on the bond is adjusted to track changes in an official inflation measure. Up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in sectors outside the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays World Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index USD Hedged (the Index). The Fund seeks to maintain an average duration that is within a range of plus or minus 20% of the duration of the Index. Duration measures the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. For example, a three-year duration means a bond is expected to decrease in value by 3% if interest rates rise 1% and increase in value by 3% if interest rates fall 1%.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate, other bond, and index futures), options (including options on futures and indices) and swaps (including interest rate swaps and inflation rate swaps). The Fund may enter into derivatives for investment purposes, for risk management (hedging) purposes, to increase flexibility, to produce incremental earnings, and to manage duration, yield curve and interest rate exposure. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (BlackRock or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
BlackRock is also responsible for the supervision of BlackRock International Limited (BIL), an affiliate of BlackRock, which assists in providing day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund pursuant to a sub-subadvisory agreement with BlackRock. BlackRock and BIL are collectively referred to as the Subadvisers.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the Subadvisers make purchase and sale decisions using proprietary interest rate and price index models and seasoned professional judgment;
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Securities are purchased for the Fund when the management team determines that they have the potential for above average total return;
If a security falls below investment grade, the management team will decide whether to continue to hold the security. A security will be sold or its risks hedged if, in the opinion of the management team, the risk of continuing to hold the security is unattractive when compared to its total return potential;
Fund assets will be allocated among different countries and different market sectors (including different government or corporate issuers) and different maturities based on views of the relative value for each sector or maturity;
Duration and yield curve decisions will be based on fundamental views and quantitative analysis of forward looking interest rate determinants including inflation, real rates, risk premiums and relative supply/demand;
The Fund will target an average portfolio duration within a range of plus or minus 20% of the duration of the Index. The Subadvisers use an internal model for calculating duration, which may result in a different value for the duration of a benchmark compared to the duration calculated by the provider of the benchmark or another third party.
The management team may hedge any portion of the non-U.S. dollar denominated securities in the Fund to the U.S. dollar.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Inflation-Protected Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Derivatives Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality.
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Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the
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amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
A bond (or debt instrument) future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a bond or other debt instrument, a basket of bonds or other debt instrument, or the bonds or other debt instruments in an index on a specified date at a predetermined price. The buyer (long position) of a bond future is obliged to buy the underlying reference at the agreed price on expiry of the future.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the
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underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
An inflation rate swap is a derivative typically used to transfer inflation risk from one party to another through an exchange of cash flows. In an inflation rate swap, one party pays a fixed rate on a notional principal amount, while the other party pays a floating rate linked to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws,
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regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single EU country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the UK voted to leave the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). On January 31, 2020, the UK formally exited the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there is a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. For more information on the risks associated with Brexit, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
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Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant
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impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with BlackRock is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019. In addition, a discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment sub-subadvisory agreement between BlackRock and BlackRock International Limited (BIL) is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Subadviser and Sub-Subadviser
BlackRock, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since October 2012, is located at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055. BlackRock, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. BlackRock is also responsible for the supervision of BlackRock International Limited (BIL), an affiliate of BlackRock, located at Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, Scotland, which assists in providing day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund pursuant to a sub-subadvisory agreement with BlackRock. BlackRock was established in 1988 and offers investment management services through various BlackRock entities that are registered as investment advisers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as through multiple affiliates. As part of their investment management services, BlackRock and BIL collectively offer a variety of investment strategies, including but not limited to fixed income, cash management, equity, alternative, index and multi-asset.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (BlackRock)
Sub-Subadviser: BlackRock International Limited (BIL)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Christopher Allen, CFA   Managing Director of BIL   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Akiva Dickstein   Managing Director of BlackRock   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Emanuella Enenajor   Director of BlackRock   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2020
Mr. Allen’s service with BIL dates back to 2004, including his years with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, which merged with BlackRock in 2006. He currently serves as Managing Director, and is a senior portfolio manager for the Fundamental European team and Co-Head of Global Inflation Linked Portfolios within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group. He began his investment career in 2004 and earned an M.A. in mathematics from Oxford University.
Mr. Dickstein joined BlackRock in 2009. He currently serves as Managing Director, and is Head of Customized Core Portfolios and Co-Head of Global Inflation Linked Portfolios within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group. Prior to his current role, Mr. Dickstein was the lead manager on BlackRock’s mortgage portfolios. He began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. in economics from Yale University and an M.A. in physics from Princeton University.
Ms. Enenajor joined BlackRock in 2016. She currently serves as Director, and is a portfolio manager on Global Inflation Linked Portfolios within BlackRock’s Global Fixed Income Group. Prior to joining BlackRock, Ms. Enenajor served as a senior North American economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research, a senior economist at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Economics, and an analyst in the financial markets group at the Bank of Canada. She began her investment career in 2016 and earned a B.Sc. in statistics and economics from the University of Toronto and a Master of Financial Economics from the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, the Fund considers mid-cap companies to be those whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $72.6 million to $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. As a result of the bottom-up stock selection process, Victory Capital Management Inc. from time to time may find more compelling investment opportunities in certain economic sectors, such as the financial services sector.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Victory Capital Management Inc. (Victory Capital or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
The Fund invests in companies that are expected to benefit from either macroeconomic or company-specific factors, and that are attractively priced relative to their fundamentals.
The Fund invests in companies that Victory Capital believes to be of high quality based on criteria such as market share position, profitability, balance sheet strength, competitive advantages, management competence and the ability to generate excess cash flow. Victory Capital uses a bottom-up investment process in conducting fundamental analysis to identify companies trading below Victory Capital’s assessment of intrinsic value that have sustainable returns and prospects for an inflection in business fundamentals that will enable the stock price to be revalued higher.
Victory Capital may sell a security if it believes the price objective for the stock has been reached, if more attractive opportunities are identified, or if the fundamentals of the company deteriorate.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Value Securities Risk, and Mid-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions,
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workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Victory Capital is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
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The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
Victory Capital, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since November 2012, is located at 15935 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio TX 78256. Victory Capital, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Victory Capital is a multi-boutique asset manager comprised of multiple investment teams, referred to as investment franchises, each of which utilizes an independent approach to investing. Sycamore Capital is the investment franchise responsible for management of the Fund. The portfolio managers listed below are members of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital investment franchise.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Victory Capital Management Inc. (Victory Capital)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Gary Miller   Chief Investment Officer of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Lead Portfolio Manager   2012
Jeffrey Graff, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Gregory Conners   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
James Albers, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Michael Rodarte, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Victory Capital’s Sycamore Capital   Portfolio Manager   2012
Mr. Miller has been associated with Victory Capital since 1987. Mr. Miller is Chief Investment Officer of Sycamore Capital. Mr. Miller began his investment career in 1987 and earned a B.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati and an M.B.A. from Xavier University.
Mr. Graff has been associated with Victory Capital since 2001. Mr. Graff began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.B.A. from Cleveland State University and a M.Fin. from St. Louis University.
Mr. Conners has been associated with Victory Capital since 1999. Mr. Conners began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.S. from the College of Mount St. Joseph and an M.B.A. from Xavier University.
Mr. Albers has been associated with Victory Capital since 2005. Mr. Albers began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.S. and a M.S. from the University of Wisconsin.
Mr. Rodarte has been associated with Victory Capital since 2006. Mr. Rodarte began his investment career in 2006 and earned a B.B.A. from Ohio University.
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More Information About VP – Partners Core Equity Fund
Investment Objective
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities. Equity securities include, for example, common stock, preferred stock and convertible securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
Fundamental analysis and quantitative models are utilized in buying and selling investments for the Fund.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy) and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price) (Jacobs Levy and T. Rowe Price, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy.
Jacobs Levy
Jacobs Levy utilizes a dynamic, multidimensional investment process that combines human insight and intuition, finance and behavioral theory, and quantitative and statistical methods. Jacobs Levy’s security evaluation process focuses on the modeling of a large number of stocks and proprietary factors, using financial statements, security analyst forecasts, corporate management signals, economic releases, and security prices, as well as alternative and proprietary data sources. This investment approach is intended to promote diversification across securities, industries, and sectors, while managing for known risk exposures relative to the underlying benchmark. The range of models is designed to allow the portfolio to be diversified across exposures to numerous potential opportunities.
Jacobs Levy generally considers selling a stock when the return prediction generated by its models, adjusted for risk and expected transaction costs, is notably surpassed by another stock’s return prediction. Partial sales may occur when Jacobs Levy’s investment process determines that these transactions could benefit portfolio performance or when, as a result of market action, a position has grown to a size that impinges on portfolio risk or liquidity limitations. Sales may also occur under special circumstances; for example, if a company agrees to be acquired, and trades as a merger arbitrage situation, its stock may be sold. Sales can be triggered when necessary valuation data are no longer available; for example, if all security analysts drop coverage of a stock, the position may be sold.
T. Rowe Price
T. Rowe Price uses fundamental, bottom-up research and takes a core approach to stock selection, which includes both growth and value styles of investing. Because the Fund has the flexibility to look for stocks with either growth or value characteristics, stocks will be selected that T. Rowe Price believes have the most favorable combination of company fundamentals, earnings potential, and valuation. Sector allocations are largely the result of T. Rowe Price’s focus on bottom-up stock selection.
In selecting stocks for the Fund, T. Rowe Price typically seeks out companies with one or more of the following characteristics:
experienced and capable management;
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above-average earnings growth, cash flow growth, or profit margins;
leading or improving market position or proprietary advantages;
attractive business niche with the potential to sustain earnings momentum even during times of slow economic growth;
attractive valuation relative to a company’s peers or its own historical norm;
low stock price relative to a company’s underlying asset values; and/or
potential to conduct share repurchases.
Through bottom-up fundamental analysis, T. Rowe Price seeks to identify the most attractively valued large U.S. companies with capital appreciation potential, by placing less emphasis on economic trends, business cycles, or the industry in which the company operates.
T. Rowe Price may also deviate from its normal investment criteria in special situations which might arise when T. Rowe Price believes a security could increase in value for a variety of reasons, including an extraordinary corporate event, a new product introduction or innovation, a favorable competitive development, or a change in management.
T. Rowe Price may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics,
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occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other
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adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreements with Jacobs Levy and T. Rowe Price is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
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Subadvisers
Jacobs Levy, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2019, is located at 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932. Jacobs Levy, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Jacobs Levy, a New Jersey corporation, was founded in September 1986. Jacobs Levy’s core business activity is managing U.S. equity portfolios for its clients, which include institutions with separately managed accounts, registered investment companies, and pooled investment vehicles intended for sophisticated, institutional investors.
T. Rowe Price, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2019, is located at 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. T. Rowe Price, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. T. Rowe Price is a Maryland corporation founded in 1937 that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and subadviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Bruce Jacobs, Ph.D.   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Kenneth Levy, CFA   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Dr. Jacobs is a Principal and Co-Founder of Jacobs Levy, which was established in 1986. Dr. Jacobs began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from Columbia College, an M.S. from Columbia University, an M.S.I.A. from Carnegie Mellon University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Mr. Levy is a Principal and Co-Founder of Jacobs Levy, which was established in 1986. Mr. Levy began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Subadviser: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jeffrey Rottinghaus, CPA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Mr. Rottinghaus joined T. Rowe Price in 2001. Mr. Rottinghaus began his investment career in 2000 and earned a B.S. from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
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Investment Objective
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in small cap companies. For these purposes, small cap companies are those that have a market capitalization, at the time of investment, that falls within the range of the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) or up to $2.5 billion, whichever is greater. The Fund may buy and hold stock in a company that is not included in the Index. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.3 million to $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may invest in any type of security, including common stocks and depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy), Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (Nuveen Asset Management) and Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC (SBH) (Jacobs Levy, Nuveen Asset Management and SBH, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each of the Subadvisers employs an active investment strategy that focuses on small cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what are believed to be undervalued securities. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
Jacobs Levy
Jacobs Levy invests in small cap value stocks for the Fund using a dynamic, multidimensional investment process that combines human insight and intuition, finance and behavioral theory, and quantitative and statistical methods. Jacobs Levy’s security evaluation process focuses on the modeling of a large number of stocks and proprietary factors, using financial statements, security analyst forecasts, corporate management signals, economic releases, and security prices, as well as alternative and proprietary data sources. This investment approach is intended to promote diversification across securities, industries, and sectors, while managing for known risk exposures relative to the underlying benchmark. The range of models is designed to allow the portfolio to be diversified across exposures to numerous potential opportunities. Jacobs Levy generally considers selling a stock when the return prediction generated by its models, adjusted for risk and expected transaction costs, is notably surpassed by another stock’s return prediction. Partial sales may occur when Jacobs Levy’s investment process determines that these transactions could benefit portfolio performance or when, as a result of market action, a position has grown to a size that impinges on portfolio risk or liquidity limitations. Sales may also occur under special circumstances; for example, if a company agrees to be acquired, and trades as a merger arbitrage situation, its stock may be sold. Sales can be triggered when necessary valuation data are no longer available; for example, if all security analysts drop coverage of a stock, the position may be sold.
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Nuveen Asset Management
In selecting stocks, Nuveen Asset Management invests in companies that it believes meet at least two of the following criteria:
Undervalued relative to other companies in the same industry or market;
Good or improving fundamentals; and
An identifiable catalyst that could close the gap between market value and fair value over the next one to two years.
Nuveen Asset Management will generally sell a stock if the stock hits its price target, the company’s fundamentals or competitive position significantly deteriorate, or if a better alternative exists in the marketplace.
SBH
SBH’s investment process is driven by a combination of quantitative analysis, fundamental analysis and experienced judgment. SBH seeks to exploit the relatively inefficient small cap market by investing in companies the stocks of which SBH believes are trading below SBH’s estimate of their intrinsic values. SBH utilizes several databases to screen approximately 4,000 potential value-oriented investments based on predetermined guidelines such as market capitalization and attractive relative valuation. In evaluating potential investments, SBH concentrates primarily on the companies’ cash flow capability over time. SBH uses a database model to evaluate market expectations of returns and cash flows, and seeks to identify stocks the prices of which SBH believes reflect low expectations by the market for the next two to five years. SBH then evaluates the validity of the market’s perceived expectations, ultimately trying to identify companies that will exceed these expectations, through analysis which includes speaking and/or meeting with a company’s management team.
SBH generally will sell a security when one or more of the following occurs: (1) SBH’s estimate of full valuation is realized; (2) a position in a company within SBH’s allocated portion becomes over-weighted due to appreciation; (3) a more attractive stock is identified (in which case the least attractive stock in the portfolio is sold); (4) there is change in a company’s underlying fundamentals; or (5) the Fund requires cash to meet redemption requests.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Value Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an
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acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations
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in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
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Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreements with Jacobs Levy, Nuveen Asset Management and SBH is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
Jacobs Levy, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2017, is located at 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932. Jacobs Levy, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Jacobs Levy, a New Jersey corporation, was founded in September 1986. Jacobs Levy’s core business activity is managing U.S. equity portfolios for its clients, which include institutions with separately managed accounts, registered investment companies, and pooled investment vehicles intended for sophisticated, institutional investors.
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Nuveen Asset Management, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2017, is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. Nuveen Asset Management, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Nuveen Asset Management was launched as a new firm in 2011 and it succeeds a business established in 1989. Nuveen Asset Management provides investment advisory services to a broad range of individual and institutional clients, including open-end and closed-end investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, as amended, and other pooled investment vehicles.
SBH, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since August 2014, is located at 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551. SBH, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. SBH is a registered investment advisor established in 1994. SBH provides professional portfolio management of domestic and international equity, domestic fixed income and balanced portfolios, and alternative investments, to clients which include foundations, endowments, corporations, public funds, multi-employer plans and wealth management clients.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. (Jacobs Levy)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Bruce Jacobs, Ph.D.   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Kenneth Levy, CFA   Co-Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager and Co-Director of Research of Jacobs Levy   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Dr. Jacobs is a Principal and Co-Founder of Jacobs Levy, which was established in 1986. Dr. Jacobs began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from Columbia College, an M.S. from Columbia University, an M.S.I.A. from Carnegie Mellon University, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Mr. Levy is a Principal and Co-Founder of Jacobs Levy, which was established in 1986. Mr. Levy began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Subadviser: Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (Nuveen Asset Management)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Karen L. Bowie, CFA   Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Nuveen Asset Management   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Ms. Bowie joined Nuveen Asset Management in 2011. Ms. Bowie began her investment career in 1984 and earned a B.S.B.A. and an M.B.A. from Xavier University and a J.D. from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
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Subadviser: Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC (SBH)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Mark Dickherber, CFA, CPA   Principal, Director of Small Cap Strategies of SBH   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Shaun Nicholson   Principal, Senior Portfolio Manager of SBH   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Mr. Dickherber joined SBH in 2007. Mr. Dickherber began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.S. from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
Mr. Nicholson joined SBH in 2011. Mr. Nicholson began his investment career in 2002 and earned a B.S. from Seton Hall University and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
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More Information About the Funds
References to “the Fund” throughout the remainder of the prospectus refer to the VP Funds singularly or collectively as the context requires.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
For Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund, the Fund may invest up to 0.5% of its total assets in investments other than government securities, cash and repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash.  For each of the other funds, the Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the SAI. The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com. Portfolio holdings are not currently available on the website for all Funds.
Transactions in Derivatives
For all funds except Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
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LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
For all funds except Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
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Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
Investing Defensively
For all funds except Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
For Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that are inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions. These investment positions may include, without limitation, holding all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash for as long a period as deemed necessary. The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
For all funds except Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI. Portfolio holdings are not currently available on the website for all Funds.
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Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
For all funds except Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund and Columbia VP - Large Cap Index Fund
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
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Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Columbia VP - Disciplined Core Fund 0.69% 0.94% 0.815%
Columbia VP - Global Strategic Income Fund 0.61% 0.86% 0.735%
Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund 0.45% 0.70% 0.575%
Columbia VP - High Yield Bond Fund 0.67% 0.92% 0.795%
Columbia VP - Income Opportunities Fund 0.67% 0.92% 0.795%
Columbia VP - Intermediate Bond Fund 0.55% 0.80% 0.675%
Columbia VP - Mid Cap Growth Fund 0.79% 1.04% 0.915%
Columbia VP - Select Large Cap Value Fund 0.72% 0.97% 0.845%
Columbia VP - Select Mid Cap Value Fund 0.81% 1.06% 0.935%
Columbia VP - Select Small Cap Value Fund 0.85% 1.10% 0.975%
CTIVP® - BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 0.65% 0.90% 0.775%
CTIVP® - Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 0.85% 1.10% 0.975%
VP - Partners Core Equity Fund 0.69% 0.94% 0.815%
VP - Partners Small Cap Value Fund 0.88% 1.13% 1.005%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Also, for the funds listed below, the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below), so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
Columbia VP - Balanced Fund 0.77% 1.02% 0.895%
Columbia VP - Dividend Opportunity Fund 0.73% 0.98% 0.855%
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Fund 1.14% 1.39% 1.265%
Columbia VP - Large Cap Growth Fund 0.75% 1.00% 0.875%
Columbia VP - Large Cap Index Fund 0.29% 0.54% 0.415%
Columbia VP - Overseas Core Fund 0.90% 1.15% 1.025%
Columbia VP - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 0.58% 0.83% 0.705%
Under the arrangement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled
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investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest and infrequent and/or unusual expenses. This arrangement may be revised or discontinued at any time.
For Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund, in addition to the contractual cap commitments with respect to Class 2 and Class 3, the distribution and/or service fees payable under the Fund’s Plan of Distribution have been voluntarily waived until further notice. Compensation paid to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries is also suspended for the duration of the suspension of payments under the Plan of Distribution. This voluntary waiver may be revised or discontinued at any time.
Also for Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund, in addition to any other waiver/reimbursement arrangement, from time to time, the Investment Manager and its affiliates may waive or absorb expenses of the Fund with the intent of allowing the Fund to avoid a negative net yield or to increase the Fund’s positive net yield. The Fund’s yield would be negative if Fund expenses exceed Fund income. Any such expense limitation is voluntary and may be revised or terminated at any time without notice to shareholders and, accordingly, any positive net yield resulting therefrom will cease.
For Columbia VP - Intermediate Bond Fund, the Investment Manager has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of the management services fee on Fund assets that are invested in affiliated mutual funds, ETFs and closed-end funds that pay a management services fee to the Investment Manager. This arrangement may be modified or terminated by the Investment Manager at any time.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
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Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The Investment Manager is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, but has delegated certain of its duties, including day-to-day portfolio management of all or a portion of certain Fund’s assets to one or more investment subadvisers, as described in this prospectus, including determining the securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing these portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to the amount shown in the table below, as a percent of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
    
  Management fee for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
Columbia VP - Balanced Fund 0.69%
Columbia VP - Disciplined Core Fund 0.63%
Columbia VP - Dividend Opportunity Fund 0.67%
Columbia VP - Emerging Markets Fund 1.10%
Columbia VP - Global Strategic Income Fund 0.65%
Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund 0.39%
Columbia VP - High Yield Bond Fund 0.66%
Columbia VP - Income Opportunities Fund 0.66%
Columbia VP - Intermediate Bond Fund 0.47%*
Columbia VP - Large Cap Growth Fund 0.70%
Columbia VP - Large Cap Index Fund 0.20%
Columbia VP - Mid Cap Growth Fund 0.82%
Columbia VP - Overseas Core Fund 0.83%
Columbia VP - Select Large Cap Value Fund 0.71%
Columbia VP - Select Mid Cap Value Fund 0.82%
Columbia VP - Select Small Cap Value Fund 0.87%
Columbia VP - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 0.43%
CTIVP® - BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 0.51%
CTIVP® - Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 0.76%
VP - Partners Core Equity Fund 0.69%
VP - Partners Small Cap Value Fund 0.85%
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* Net of any fee waivers.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
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insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares Class 3 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none none
Conversion Features none none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25% 0.125%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 and Class 3 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25% and the distribution fee for Class 3 shares is 0.125%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
For Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund only
The distribution and/or service fees payable under the Fund’s Plan of Distribution have been voluntarily waived until further notice. Compensation paid to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries is also suspended for the duration of the suspension of payments under the Plan of Distribution. This voluntary waiver may be revised or discontinued at any time.
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Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value
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About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and
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About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
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About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia VP - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
Each of Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund, Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund and CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (the RIC Funds) intend to qualify each year as a regulated investment company. For the RIC Funds, while a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Mutual funds treated as regulated investment companies for tax purposes are required to make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund.
Each of Columbia VP – Balanced Fund, Columbia VP – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, VP – Partners Core Equity Fund and VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (the Partnership Funds) expects to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes. Each Partnership Fund is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Each RIC Fund may make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund — which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
Each RIC Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
    
  Declarations Distributions
Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund Quarterly Quarterly
Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund Quarterly Quarterly
Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund Daily Quarterly
Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund Annually Annually
Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund Annually Annually
Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund Annually Annually
Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund Quarterly Quarterly
Columbia VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund Annually Annually
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund Annually Annually
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
The RIC Funds may, however, declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently. Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution. Each RIC Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions to be paid in cash.
Taxes and Your Investment
Each Partnership Fund expects to be treated as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a Partnership Fund were not to qualify for such treatment, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would reduce the value of an investment in the Fund.
As a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” each Partnership Fund is generally not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of the Partnership Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Partnership Fund. In addition, unlike mutual funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Partnership Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in the Fund such requirements will be taken into account by a Partnership Fund.
Investments in a Partnership Fund may be indirectly subject to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest or capital gains. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries a Partnership Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Partnership Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company.
Each RIC Fund intends to qualify and be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you.
Shares of the Funds are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income, which benefits may be greater with respect to a Partnership Fund than if the Partnership Fund were treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received by a Partnership Fund or from a RIC Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Review your Contract prospectus to determine the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or, for Partnership Funds, if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership.”
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Balanced Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.35 0.48 5.34 5.82
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.90 0.42 (1.97) (1.55)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $23.46 0.34 3.10 3.44
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.00 0.33 1.13 1.46
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $21.59 0.59(c) (0.18) 0.41
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.06 0.41 5.27 5.68
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.66 0.34 (1.94) (1.60)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $23.30 0.28 3.08 3.36
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.91 0.27 1.12 1.39
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $21.56 0.53(c) (0.18) 0.35
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.24 0.45 5.30 5.75
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.82 0.38 (1.96) (1.58)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $23.42 0.30 3.10 3.40
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.01 0.29 1.12 1.41
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $21.64 0.55(c) (0.18) 0.37
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.33 per share.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Balanced Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $31.17 22.96% 0.79% 0.76% 1.63% 126% $741
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.35 (5.76%) 0.78% 0.75% 1.53% 81% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.90 14.66% 0.77% 0.74% 1.36% 63% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $23.46 6.64% 0.79% 0.79% 1.40% 65% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $22.00 1.90% 0.76% 0.76% 2.69% 89% $3
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $30.74 22.66% 1.03% 1.01% 1.43% 126% $4
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.06 (6.00%) 1.03% 1.00% 1.27% 81% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.66 14.42% 1.02% 0.99% 1.11% 63% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $23.30 6.34% 1.04% 1.04% 1.16% 65% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $21.91 1.62% 1.01% 1.01% 2.43% 89% $3
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $30.99 22.78% 0.91% 0.88% 1.57% 126% $1,137,620
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.24 (5.89%) 0.91% 0.87% 1.40% 81% $1,004,017
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.82 14.52% 0.91% 0.89% 1.20% 63% $1,165,032
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $23.42 6.41% 0.91% 0.91% 1.27% 65% $1,059,420
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $22.01 1.71% 0.94% 0.92% 2.51% 89% $964,446
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Disciplined Core
Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Disciplined Core
Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $46.89 0.76 10.86 11.62
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $48.64 0.72 (2.47) (1.75)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $39.11 0.77 8.76 9.53
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $36.19 0.62 2.30 2.92
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $35.87 0.57 (0.25) 0.32
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $45.90 0.61 10.62 11.23
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $47.74 0.60 (2.44) (1.84)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $38.48 0.65 8.61 9.26
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $35.69 0.52 2.27 2.79
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $35.47 0.47 (0.25) 0.22
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $46.36 0.68 10.74 11.42
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $48.16 0.65 (2.45) (1.80)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $38.77 0.71 8.68 9.39
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $35.92 0.57 2.28 2.85
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $35.65 0.52 (0.25) 0.27
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Disciplined Core
Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $58.51 24.78% 0.66% 0.66% 1.41% 69% $4,290,429
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $46.89 (3.60%) 0.66% 0.66% 1.42% 74% $3,650,498
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $48.64 24.37% 0.68% 0.68% 1.79% 69% $4,219,124
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $39.11 8.07% 0.71% 0.71% 1.70% 80% $3,583,512
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $36.19 0.89% 0.73% 0.73% 1.58% 78% $2,941,017
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $57.13 24.46% 0.91% 0.91% 1.17% 69% $39,356
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $45.90 (3.85%) 0.91% 0.91% 1.21% 74% $28,322
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $47.74 24.07% 0.93% 0.93% 1.54% 69% $23,671
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $38.48 7.82% 0.96% 0.96% 1.45% 80% $18,402
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $35.69 0.62% 0.98% 0.98% 1.31% 78% $16,917
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $57.78 24.63% 0.78% 0.78% 1.29% 69% $1,260,116
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $46.36 (3.74%) 0.78% 0.78% 1.29% 74% $1,139,339
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $48.16 24.22% 0.81% 0.81% 1.67% 69% $1,328,984
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $38.77 7.94% 0.83% 0.83% 1.58% 80% $1,214,003
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $35.92 0.76% 0.85% 0.85% 1.44% 78% $1,280,983
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.85 0.85 4.89 5.74
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.30 0.85 (2.30) (1.45)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.12 0.89 2.29 3.18
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.46 0.78 1.88 2.66
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.99 0.73 (1.26) (0.53)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.32 0.77 4.77 5.54
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.81 0.75 (2.24) (1.49)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.74 0.82 2.25 3.07
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.17 0.72 1.85 2.57
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.74 0.65 (1.22) (0.57)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.58 0.81 4.83 5.64
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.05 0.79 (2.26) (1.47)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.92 0.86 2.27 3.13
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.31 0.75 1.86 2.61
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.86 0.68 (1.23) (0.55)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.59 24.07% 0.74% 0.72% 3.13% 46% $632,898
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.85 (5.73%) 0.72% 0.72% 3.31% 87% $537,062
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.30 14.38% 0.73% 0.73% 3.82% 62% $832,599
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.12 13.67% 0.74% 0.74% 3.78% 64% $742,337
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.46 (2.65%) 0.71% 0.71% 3.65% 93% $657,752
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $28.86 23.76% 0.99% 0.97% 2.88% 46% $81,504
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.32 (6.01%) 0.97% 0.97% 2.99% 87% $61,764
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.81 14.12% 0.98% 0.98% 3.58% 62% $69,367
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.74 13.41% 0.99% 0.99% 3.52% 64% $59,186
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.17 (2.89%) 0.98% 0.98% 3.33% 93% $46,304
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.22 23.92% 0.86% 0.84% 3.00% 46% $810,575
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.58 (5.87%) 0.85% 0.84% 3.11% 87% $749,273
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.05 14.28% 0.86% 0.86% 3.71% 62% $939,770
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.92 13.52% 0.87% 0.87% 3.66% 64% $967,557
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.31 (2.77%) 0.86% 0.86% 3.45% 93% $982,852
  
Prospectus 2020 321

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 323

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.38 0.09 4.79 4.88 (0.04) (2.25) (2.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.04 0.14 (4.67) (4.53) (0.13) (0.13)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.29 0.05 6.73 6.78 (0.03) (0.03)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.61 0.03 0.67 0.70 (0.02) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.36 0.06 (1.37) (1.31) (0.02) (0.42) (0.44)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.26 0.06 4.73 4.79 (0.02) (2.25) (2.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.84 0.06 (4.59) (4.53) (0.05) (0.05)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.17 0.01 6.66 6.67 (0.00) (f) (0.00) (f)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.53 0.02 0.63 0.65 (0.01) (0.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.30 0.03 (1.37) (1.34) (0.01) (0.42) (0.43)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.33 0.08 4.76 4.84 (0.03) (2.25) (2.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.96 0.09 (4.63) (4.54) (0.09) (0.09)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.24 0.03 6.71 6.74 (0.02) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.58 0.04 0.63 0.67 (0.01) (0.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.34 0.04 (1.36) (1.32) (0.02) (0.42) (0.44)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) The Fund received a payment from an affiliate. Had the Fund not received this payment, the total return would have been lower by 0.04%.
(d) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
(e) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
(f) Rounds to zero.
(g) The Fund received a payment from an affiliate which had an impact of less than 0.01%.
324 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Emerging Markets Fund (continued)
  Reimbursement
from affiliate
Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 0.01 $18.98 31.50% (c) 1.22% (d) 1.17% (d) 0.53% 26% $133,990
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.38 (21.62%) 1.20% (d) 1.20% (d) 0.70% 41% $196,720
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.04 47.51% 1.25% (e) 1.24% (e) 0.31% 43% $457,065
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.29 5.13% 1.29% (e) 1.27% (e) 0.25% 74% $408,360
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.61 (8.83%) 1.28% 1.25% 0.40% 77% $974,542
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 0.00(f) $18.78 31.13% (g) 1.47% (d) 1.42% (d) 0.33% 26% $55,859
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.26 (21.78%) 1.47% (d) 1.46% (d) 0.33% 41% $42,531
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.84 47.10% 1.50% (e) 1.48% (e) 0.04% 43% $46,421
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.17 4.81% 1.54% (e) 1.52% (e) 0.14% 74% $21,331
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.53 (9.06%) 1.53% 1.50% 0.17% 77% $18,561
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 0.00(f) $18.89 31.29% (g) 1.34% (d) 1.29% (d) 0.45% 26% $196,505
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.33 (21.73%) 1.34% (d) 1.33% (d) 0.44% 41% $173,529
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.96 47.34% 1.37% (e) 1.36% (e) 0.18% 43% $244,408
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.24 4.97% 1.42% (e) 1.40% (e) 0.26% 74% $183,897
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.58 (8.94%) 1.40% 1.38% 0.28% 77% $207,067
  
Prospectus 2020 325

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 327

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Increase
from
payment
by affiliate
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $8.21 0.29 0.61 0.00(c) 0.90
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.03 0.29 (0.74) (0.45) (0.37) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.53 0.29 0.21 0.50
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.85 0.29 (0.36) (0.07) (0.25) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.26 0.30 (0.87) (0.57) (0.84) (0.84)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $8.09 0.26 0.61 0.00(c) 0.87
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.91 0.26 (0.73) (0.47) (0.35) (0.35)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.43 0.27 0.21 0.48
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.78 0.26 (0.36) (0.10) (0.25) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.20 0.32 (0.90) (0.58) (0.84) (0.84)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $8.16 0.27 0.62 0.00(c) 0.89
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.98 0.28 (0.74) (0.46) (0.36) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.49 0.28 0.21 0.49
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.83 0.27 (0.36) (0.09) (0.25) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.25 0.33 (0.91) (0.58) (0.84) (0.84)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
(d) The Fund received a payment from an affiliate. Had the Fund not received this payment, the total return would have been lower by 0.01%.
(e) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
328 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Global Strategic Income Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.11 10.96% (d) 0.87% 0.59% 3.27% 57% $10
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.21 (5.20%) 0.86% (e) 0.64% (e) 3.34% 86% $9
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.03 5.86% 0.85% 0.68% 3.33% 37% $10
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.53 (1.00%) 0.79% 0.70% 3.17% 162% $9
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.85 (6.08%) 0.75% 0.75% 2.88% 109% $9
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $8.96 10.75% (d) 1.12% 0.84% 3.01% 57% $10,750
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.09 (5.51%) 1.10% (e) 0.89% (e) 3.08% 86% $9,512
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.91 5.69% 1.10% 0.93% 3.07% 37% $9,719
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.43 (1.35%) 1.05% 0.95% 2.92% 162% $8,812
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.78 (6.22%) 1.04% 0.98% 3.30% 109% $9,004
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.05 10.91% (d) 1.00% 0.72% 3.14% 57% $102,668
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.16 (5.34%) 0.97% (e) 0.76% (e) 3.25% 86% $104,256
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.98 5.77% 0.98% 0.80% 3.18% 37% $131,599
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.49 (1.23%) 0.92% 0.83% 3.03% 162% $146,851
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.83 (6.17%) 0.91% 0.86% 3.42% 109% $179,329
  
Prospectus 2020 329

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return is not annualized for periods of less than one year.
This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 331

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 0.02 0.00(b) 0.02 (0.02) (0.00) (b) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 0.02 0.00(b) 0.02 (0.02) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 0.02 0.00(b) 0.02 (0.02) (0.00) (b) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 0.01 0.00(b) 0.01 (0.01) (0.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 0.02 0.00(b) 0.02 (0.02) (0.00) (b) (0.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 0.01 0.00(b) 0.01 (0.01) (0.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.00(b) 0.00(b) 0.00(b) (0.00) (b) (0.00) (b)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(b) Rounds to zero.
332 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Government Money Market Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 1.89% 0.47% 0.36% 1.87% $86,841
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 1.51% 0.46% 0.32% 1.77% $301,167
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.43% 0.50% 0.45% 0.42% $44,578
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.01% 0.49% 0.36% 0.01% $48,310
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.01% 0.49% 0.13% 0.01% $149,749
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 1.64% 0.72% 0.62% 1.60% $61,083
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 1.26% 0.72% 0.59% 1.36% $67,341
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.18% 0.75% 0.70% 0.17% $32,860
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.01% 0.74% 0.36% 0.01% $35,914
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.01% 0.75% 0.13% 0.01% $29,276
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $1.00 1.77% 0.60% 0.49% 1.72% $181,970
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $1.00 1.38% 0.60% 0.48% 1.36% $209,931
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $1.00 0.30% 0.62% 0.57% 0.29% $224,799
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $1.00 0.01% 0.62% 0.36% 0.01% $269,488
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $1.00 0.01% 0.62% 0.13% 0.01% $266,420
  
Prospectus 2020 333

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 335

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.20 0.34 0.70 1.04 (0.41) (0.41)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.84 0.35 (0.60) (0.25) (0.39) (0.39)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.79 0.36 0.08 0.44 (0.39) (0.39)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.46 0.35 0.40 0.75 (0.42) (0.42)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.96 0.36 (0.42) (0.06) (0.44) (0.44)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.15 0.33 0.67 1.00 (0.39) (0.39)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.78 0.33 (0.59) (0.26) (0.37) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.74 0.32 0.09 0.41 (0.37) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.41 0.34 0.39 0.73 (0.40) (0.40)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.91 0.35 (0.43) (0.08) (0.42) (0.42)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.19 0.34 0.68 1.02 (0.40) (0.40)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.83 0.34 (0.60) (0.26) (0.38) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.78 0.34 0.09 0.43 (0.38) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.45 0.35 0.39 0.74 (0.41) (0.41)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.94 0.36 (0.42) (0.06) (0.43) (0.43)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
336 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – High Yield Bond Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.83 17.00% 0.80% 0.67% 5.21% 49% $227
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.20 (3.86%) 0.77% 0.73% 5.31% 39% $11
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.84 6.53% 0.75% 0.75% 5.12% 51% $12
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.79 11.84% 0.75% 0.75% 5.32% 51% $3,135
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.46 (1.15%) 0.78% 0.75% 5.35% 47% $1,934
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.76 16.52% 1.02% 0.94% 5.04% 49% $74,825
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.15 (4.00%) 1.01% 0.98% 5.06% 39% $54,532
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.78 6.17% 1.01% 1.01% 4.76% 51% $59,098
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.74 11.65% 1.00% 1.00% 5.07% 51% $48,310
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.41 (1.41%) 1.02% 1.00% 5.06% 47% $38,807
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.81 16.72% 0.89% 0.81% 5.18% 49% $280,814
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.19 (4.00%) 0.89% 0.86% 5.18% 39% $279,157
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.83 6.41% 0.89% 0.89% 4.89% 51% $364,733
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.78 11.72% 0.88% 0.88% 5.20% 51% $400,844
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $6.45 (1.14%) 0.90% 0.87% 5.17% 47% $420,576
  
Prospectus 2020 337

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 339

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.91 0.36 0.76 1.12 (0.39) (0.39)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $7.56 0.37 (0.65) (0.28) (0.37) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.56 0.35 0.14 0.49 (0.49) (0.49)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.07 0.40 0.41 0.81 (0.93) (0.39) (1.32)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.06 0.43 (0.49) (0.06) (0.85) (0.08) (0.93)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.87 0.34 0.75 1.09 (0.37) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $7.51 0.35 (0.64) (0.29) (0.35) (0.35)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.52 0.33 0.13 0.46 (0.47) (0.47)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.02 0.38 0.42 0.80 (0.91) (0.39) (1.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.01 0.40 (0.47) (0.07) (0.84) (0.08) (0.92)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $6.95 0.35 0.76 1.11 (0.38) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $7.60 0.36 (0.65) (0.29) (0.36) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.60 0.35 0.13 0.48 (0.48) (0.48)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.10 0.38 0.43 0.81 (0.92) (0.39) (1.31)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.08 0.42 (0.48) (0.06) (0.84) (0.08) (0.92)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
340 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Income Opportunities Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $7.64 16.47% 0.75% 0.69% 4.83% 58% $178,149
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.91 (3.75%) 0.74% 0.73% 5.05% 42% $138,357
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.56 6.56% 0.76% 0.76% 4.66% 50% $132,262
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $7.56 10.93% 0.74% 0.74% 4.99% 48% $112,544
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.07 (1.00%) 0.73% 0.72% 4.85% 52% $328,741
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $7.59 16.12% 1.00% 0.94% 4.59% 58% $37,916
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.87 (3.90%) 0.99% 0.98% 4.79% 42% $32,893
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.51 6.20% 1.01% 1.01% 4.41% 50% $36,579
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $7.52 10.80% 0.98% 0.98% 4.72% 48% $33,095
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.02 (1.21%) 0.99% 0.98% 4.62% 52% $111,563
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $7.68 16.23% 0.87% 0.81% 4.72% 58% $147,395
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.95 (3.86%) 0.87% 0.85% 4.90% 42% $146,078
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $7.60 6.39% 0.88% 0.88% 4.55% 50% $199,852
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $7.60 10.86% 0.87% 0.87% 4.86% 48% $224,303
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.10 (1.02%) 0.86% 0.85% 4.74% 52% $154,637
  
Prospectus 2020 341

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 343

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.08 0.36 0.57 0.93 (0.35) (0.35)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.36 0.33 (0.29) 0.04 (0.25) (0.07) (0.32)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.35 0.28 0.12 0.40 (0.30) (0.09) (0.39)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.07 0.30 0.17 0.47 (0.18) (0.01) (0.19)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.22 0.25 (0.22) 0.03 (0.15) (0.03) (0.18)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.04 0.33 0.57 0.90 (0.32) (0.32)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.32 0.30 (0.29) 0.01 (0.22) (0.07) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.31 0.25 0.12 0.37 (0.27) (0.09) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.03 0.27 0.18 0.45 (0.16) (0.01) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.19 0.22 (0.23) (0.01) (0.12) (0.03) (0.15)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.09 0.35 0.56 0.91 (0.33) (0.33)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.37 0.31 (0.29) 0.02 (0.23) (0.07) (0.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.36 0.27 0.11 0.38 (0.28) (0.09) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.08 0.28 0.18 0.46 (0.17) (0.01) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.23 0.24 (0.22) 0.02 (0.14) (0.03) (0.17)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
344 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Intermediate Bond Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.66 9.25% 0.49% (c) 0.49% (c) 3.46% 256% $4,074,589
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.08 0.40% 0.49% (c) 0.49% (c) 3.21% 222% $3,919,654
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.36 3.86% 0.51% 0.51% 2.69% 396% $4,242,173
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.35 4.68% 0.54% 0.54% 2.86% 400% $4,384,210
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.07 0.30% 0.54% 0.54% 2.42% 477% $4,413,919
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.62 9.03% 0.74% (c) 0.74% (c) 3.19% 256% $53,012
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.04 0.14% 0.74% (c) 0.74% (c) 2.96% 222% $37,454
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.32 3.61% 0.76% 0.76% 2.44% 396% $37,866
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.31 4.43% 0.79% 0.79% 2.60% 400% $34,167
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.03 (0.05%) 0.80% 0.80% 2.18% 477% $24,967
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.67 9.12% 0.61% (c) 0.61% (c) 3.33% 256% $532,441
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.09 0.27% 0.61% (c) 0.61% (c) 3.07% 222% $518,931
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.37 3.73% 0.64% 0.64% 2.56% 396% $617,144
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.36 4.54% 0.66% 0.66% 2.74% 400% $688,625
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.08 0.17% 0.67% 0.67% 2.30% 477% $750,722
  
Prospectus 2020 345

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 347

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.10 0.04 5.74 5.78
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.76 0.03 (0.69) (0.66)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.08 0.05 3.63 3.68
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.92 0.09 0.07 0.16
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.84 0.03 1.05 1.08
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $15.76 (0.01) 5.61 5.60
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.44 (0.02) (0.66) (0.68)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.86 0.02 3.56 3.58
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.73 0.04 0.09 0.13
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.70 0.00(c) 1.03 1.03
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $15.94 0.01 5.69 5.70
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.62 0.01 (0.69) (0.68)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.99 0.04 3.59 3.63
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.84 0.07 0.08 0.15
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.78 0.01 1.05 1.06
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
348 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.88 35.90% 0.73% 0.73% 0.19% 39% $1,700,174
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.10 (3.94%) 0.74% 0.74% 0.16% 27% $1,312,513
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.76 28.14% 0.77% 0.76% 0.36% 35% $1,408,054
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.08 1.24% 0.80% 0.77% 0.69% 54% $1,267,016
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.92 9.12% 0.80% 0.79% 0.23% 56% $1,198,464
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.36 35.53% 0.98% 0.98% (0.06%) 39% $131,133
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.76 (4.14%) 0.99% 0.99% (0.09%) 27% $108,782
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.44 27.84% 1.02% 1.01% 0.11% 35% $121,608
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.86 1.02% 1.05% 1.01% 0.35% 54% $108,824
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.73 8.80% 1.05% 1.04% (0.02%) 56% $32,835
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.64 35.76% 0.86% 0.86% 0.06% 39% $230,850
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.94 (4.09%) 0.86% 0.86% 0.04% 27% $196,874
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.62 27.94% 0.89% 0.88% 0.23% 35% $232,010
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.99 1.17% 0.92% 0.89% 0.55% 54% $207,757
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.84 9.00% 0.92% 0.92% 0.10% 56% $252,250
  
Prospectus 2020 349

 

Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 351

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.75 0.44 5.71 6.15
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.72 0.42 (1.39) (0.97)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $17.06 0.33 3.33 3.66
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.29 0.34 1.43 1.77
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.14 0.34(c) (0.19) 0.15
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.39 0.37 5.60 5.97
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.40 0.34 (1.35) (1.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.83 0.28 3.29 3.57
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.12 0.26 1.45 1.71
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.01 0.29(d) (0.18) 0.11
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.58 0.40 5.67 6.07
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.57 0.37 (1.36) (0.99)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.96 0.30 3.31 3.61
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.21 0.28 1.47 1.75
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.08 0.32(c) (0.19) 0.13
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.06 per share.
(d) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.05 per share.
352 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Large Cap Index Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.90 31.14% 0.26% 0.26% 1.91% 2% $599,584
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.75 (4.68%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.94% 3% $332,816
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.72 21.45% 0.29% 0.29% 1.75% 2% $203,887
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.06 11.58% 0.32% 0.31% 2.14% 5% $31,465
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.29 0.99% 0.37% 0.33% 2.21% 4% $3
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.36 30.79% 0.51% 0.51% 1.63% 2% $11,354
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.39 (4.95%) 0.53% 0.53% 1.61% 3% $10,146
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.40 21.21% 0.55% 0.55% 1.50% 2% $11,777
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.83 11.31% 0.56% 0.56% 1.65% 5% $11,332
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.12 0.73% 0.58% 0.58% 1.94% 4% $11,794
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.65 31.00% 0.39% 0.39% 1.76% 2% $599,751
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.58 (4.81%) 0.40% 0.40% 1.75% 3% $442,813
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.57 21.28% 0.42% 0.42% 1.62% 2% $452,967
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.96 11.51% 0.43% 0.43% 1.78% 5% $347,922
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.21 0.86% 0.46% 0.45% 2.10% 4% $304,143
  
Prospectus 2020 353

 

Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 355

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.56 0.02 8.62 8.64
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.79 0.03 (1.26) (1.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.97 0.03 4.79 4.82
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.50 0.03 0.44 0.47
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.41 0.14(c) 0.95 1.09
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.06 (0.06) 8.44 8.38
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.32 (0.03) (1.23) (1.26)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.64 (0.03) 4.71 4.68
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.23 0.02 0.39 0.41
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.20 0.23(d) 0.80 1.03
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.30 (0.02) 8.52 8.50
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.54 (0.00) (e) (1.24) (1.24)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.80 0.00(e) 4.74 4.74
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.36 0.05 0.39 0.44
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.30 0.25(f) 0.81 1.06
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.14 per share.
(d) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.27 per share.
(e) Rounds to zero.
(f) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.28 per share.
356 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $33.20 35.18% 0.88% 0.73% 0.06% 70% $231,471
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.56 (4.77%) 0.89% 0.74% 0.12% 150% $183,546
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.79 22.98% 0.91% 0.74% 0.14% 115% $198,617
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.97 2.29% 0.92% 0.76% 0.16% 150% $158,566
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.50 5.62% 0.94% 0.84% 0.67% 109% $18,161
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $32.44 34.83% 1.13% 0.98% (0.19%) 70% $28,169
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.06 (4.98%) 1.14% 0.99% (0.12%) 150% $19,966
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.32 22.68% 1.16% 0.99% (0.11%) 115% $18,148
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.64 2.03% 1.18% 1.01% 0.11% 150% $12,910
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.23 5.36% 1.20% 1.05% 1.11% 109% $13,920
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $32.80 34.98% 1.01% 0.85% (0.07%) 70% $269,172
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.30 (4.86%) 1.01% 0.86% (0.01%) 150% $227,630
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.54 22.79% 1.03% 0.86% 0.01% 115% $268,941
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.80 2.16% 1.05% 0.88% 0.24% 150% $247,151
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.36 5.49% 1.07% 0.92% 1.24% 109% $279,919
  
Prospectus 2020 357

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 359

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.74 0.29 2.71 3.00 (0.29) (2.05) (2.34)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.71 0.29 (2.84) (2.55) (0.42) (0.42)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.58 0.19 3.23 3.42 (0.29) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.60 0.22 (1.04) (0.82) (0.20) (0.20)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.06 0.13 0.55 0.68 (0.14) (0.14)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.67 0.26 2.69 2.95 (0.25) (2.05) (2.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.62 0.26 (2.83) (2.57) (0.38) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.52 0.16 3.20 3.36 (0.26) (0.26)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.55 0.22 (1.07) (0.85) (0.18) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.02 0.08 0.56 0.64 (0.11) (0.11)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.72 0.28 2.70 2.98 (0.27) (2.05) (2.32)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.68 0.28 (2.84) (2.56) (0.40) (0.40)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.56 0.18 3.22 3.40 (0.28) (0.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.58 0.21 (1.04) (0.83) (0.19) (0.19)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.05 0.11 0.55 0.66 (0.13) (0.13)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
360 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Overseas Core Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.40 25.47% 0.89% 0.89% 2.21% 39% $948,377
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.74 (16.63%) 0.89% (c) 0.89% (c) 1.96% 113% $706,469
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.71 27.52% 0.91% 0.90% 1.38% 41% $792,289
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.58 (6.00%) 0.93% (d) 0.89% (d) 1.76% 57% $604,967
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.60 5.20% 1.01% 0.93% 0.91% 57% $11,981
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.32 25.15% 1.14% 1.14% 1.95% 39% $59,746
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.67 (16.81%) 1.14% (c) 1.14% (c) 1.75% 113% $51,287
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.62 27.18% 1.16% 1.15% 1.13% 41% $67,097
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.52 (6.27%) 1.17% (d) 1.14% (d) 1.77% 57% $57,342
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.55 4.94% 1.28% 1.18% 0.61% 57% $16,240
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.38 25.32% 1.01% 1.01% 2.09% 39% $250,480
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.72 (16.70%) 1.02% (c) 1.02% (c) 1.88% 113% $228,786
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.68 27.37% 1.04% 1.03% 1.26% 41% $312,588
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.56 (6.10%) 1.07% (d) 1.03% (d) 1.66% 57% $280,282
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.58 5.03% 1.14% 1.05% 0.79% 57% $314,648
  
Prospectus 2020 361

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Large Cap
Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 363

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Large Cap
Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.83 0.43 5.41 5.84
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.87 0.40 (3.44) (3.04)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.56 0.30 4.01 4.31
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.14 0.26 3.16 3.42
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.02 0.27 (1.15) (0.88)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.38 0.36 5.29 5.65
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.42 0.33 (3.37) (3.04)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.23 0.24 3.95 4.19
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.91 0.22 3.10 3.32
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.83 0.23 (1.15) (0.92)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.59 0.39 5.34 5.73
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.62 0.36 (3.39) (3.03)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.38 0.27 3.97 4.24
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.01 0.24 3.13 3.37
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.91 0.25 (1.15) (0.90)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
364 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Large Cap
Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.67 26.75% 0.73% (c) 0.73% (c) 1.73% 11% $1,241,829
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.83 (12.22%) 0.73% 0.73% 1.60% 16% $1,102,434
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.87 20.96% 0.76% 0.75% 1.35% 8% $1,322,918
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.56 19.95% 0.82% 0.77% 1.49% 26% $1,046,757
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.14 (4.88%) 0.81% 0.76% 1.54% 13% $779,920
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.03 26.43% 0.98% (c) 0.98% (c) 1.48% 11% $32,815
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.38 (12.45%) 0.98% 0.98% 1.36% 16% $24,610
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.42 20.71% 1.01% 1.00% 1.10% 8% $22,501
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.23 19.63% 1.07% 1.02% 1.25% 26% $15,026
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $16.91 (5.16%) 1.06% 1.02% 1.32% 13% $11,918
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.32 26.54% 0.86% (c) 0.86% (c) 1.61% 11% $56,957
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.59 (12.31%) 0.85% 0.85% 1.48% 16% $48,804
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.62 20.81% 0.89% 0.88% 1.22% 8% $56,053
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.38 19.81% 0.95% 0.89% 1.39% 26% $45,889
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.01 (5.02%) 0.94% 0.89% 1.42% 13% $47,307
  
Prospectus 2020 365

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 367

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.70 0.29 5.94 6.23
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.72 0.20 (3.22) (3.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.01 0.25 2.46 2.71
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.53 0.23 2.25 2.48
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.45 0.07 (0.99) (0.92)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.33 0.22 5.82 6.04
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.35 0.14 (3.16) (3.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.73 0.20 2.42 2.62
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.33 0.14 2.26 2.40
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.26 0.07 (1.00) (0.93)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $19.51 0.25 5.88 6.13
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.53 0.16 (3.18) (3.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.87 0.22 2.44 2.66
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.43 0.16 2.28 2.44
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.34 0.09 (1.00) (0.91)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
368 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.93 31.62% 0.88% 0.82% 1.22% 31% $220,919
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.70 (13.29%) 0.89% 0.85% 0.87% 98% $170,998
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.72 13.54% 0.91% 0.87% 1.20% 72% $191,281
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.01 14.15% 0.93% 0.90% 1.25% 57% $162,796
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.53 (4.99%) 0.91% (c) 0.90% (c) 0.38% 43% $12,613
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.37 31.25% 1.13% 1.07% 0.97% 31% $34,239
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.33 (13.51%) 1.14% 1.10% 0.62% 98% $25,687
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.35 13.28% 1.16% 1.12% 0.97% 72% $28,989
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.73 13.85% 1.19% 1.16% 0.79% 57% $22,379
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.33 (5.09%) 1.22% (c) 1.17% (c) 0.40% 43% $17,179
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.64 31.42% 1.01% 0.95% 1.08% 31% $68,354
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.51 (13.40%) 1.01% 0.97% 0.73% 98% $61,387
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.53 13.39% 1.04% 0.99% 1.05% 72% $85,853
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.87 14.00% 1.07% 1.03% 0.88% 57% $92,137
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.43 (4.96%) 1.09% (c) 1.04% (c) 0.50% 43% $97,276
  
Prospectus 2020 369

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 371

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.25 0.16 3.61 3.77
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.31 0.11 (3.17) (3.06)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.65 (0.02) 2.68 2.66
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.00 0.00(c) 2.65 2.65
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.60 0.00(c) (0.60) (0.60)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.81 0.10 3.53 3.63
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.87 0.05 (3.11) (3.06)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.30 0.04 2.53 2.57
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.74 (0.04) 2.60 2.56
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.38 (0.04) (0.60) (0.64)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.04 0.14 3.56 3.70
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.10 0.08 (3.14) (3.06)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.48 0.06 2.56 2.62
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.87 (0.02) 2.63 2.61
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.50 (0.02) (0.61) (0.63)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
(d) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
372 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Select Small Cap
Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.02 17.74% 1.05% 0.88% 0.68% 21% $4,280
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.25 (12.59%) 1.04% 0.88% 0.43% 13% $3,163
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.31 12.29% 1.02% 0.89% (0.09%) 23% $4,111
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.65 13.95% 1.00% (d) 0.91% (d) 0.02% 32% $16,013
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.00 (3.06%) 0.99% 0.91% 0.01% 27% $60,663
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.44 17.44% 1.30% 1.13% 0.44% 21% $26,851
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.81 (12.82%) 1.29% 1.13% 0.20% 13% $24,086
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $23.87 12.06% 1.29% 1.14% 0.19% 23% $28,050
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.30 13.66% 1.27% (d) 1.16% (d) (0.22%) 32% $25,233
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.74 (3.30%) 1.24% 1.16% (0.22%) 27% $22,315
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.74 17.59% 1.18% 1.00% 0.57% 21% $52,643
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.04 (12.70%) 1.17% 1.01% 0.33% 13% $51,927
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.10 12.20% 1.16% 1.02% 0.25% 23% $67,684
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.48 13.83% 1.14% (d) 1.03% (d) (0.10%) 32% $71,355
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.87 (3.23%) 1.11% 1.04% (0.11%) 27% $73,318
  
Prospectus 2020 373

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – U.S. Government
Mortgage Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 375

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – U.S. Government
Mortgage Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.23 0.30 0.38 0.68 (0.29) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.35 0.30 (0.11) 0.19 (0.30) (0.01) (0.31)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.32 0.29 0.05 0.34 (0.30) (0.01) (0.31)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.42 0.25 0.03 0.28 (0.30) (0.08) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.62 0.26 (0.12) 0.14 (0.32) (0.02) (0.34)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.20 0.27 0.39 0.66 (0.27) (0.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.32 0.27 (0.11) 0.16 (0.27) (0.01) (0.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.30 0.26 0.05 0.31 (0.28) (0.01) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.40 0.22 0.04 0.26 (0.28) (0.08) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.59 0.23 (0.10) 0.13 (0.30) (0.02) (0.32)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.23 0.28 0.39 0.67 (0.28) (0.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.35 0.28 (0.11) 0.17 (0.28) (0.01) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.32 0.27 0.06 0.33 (0.29) (0.01) (0.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.42 0.24 0.03 0.27 (0.29) (0.08) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.62 0.25 (0.12) 0.13 (0.31) (0.02) (0.33)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
376 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – U.S. Government
Mortgage Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.62 6.73% 0.46% (c) 0.46% (c) 2.83% 335% $888,047
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.23 1.85% 0.46% (c) 0.46% (c) 2.91% 286% $847,752
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.35 3.34% 0.48% 0.48% 2.77% 320% $898,922
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.32 2.71% 0.50% 0.50% 2.38% 333% $1,031,382
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.42 1.34% 0.50% 0.50% 2.45% 356% $1,247,913
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.59 6.50% 0.71% (c) 0.71% (c) 2.57% 335% $25,616
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.20 1.60% 0.71% (c) 0.71% (c) 2.66% 286% $22,932
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.32 2.99% 0.73% 0.73% 2.52% 320% $24,782
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.30 2.45% 0.75% 0.75% 2.13% 333% $25,112
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.40 1.19% 0.75% 0.75% 2.20% 356% $24,470
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.62 6.61% 0.59% (c) 0.59% (c) 2.71% 335% $94,876
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.23 1.72% 0.58% (c) 0.58% (c) 2.78% 286% $99,204
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.35 3.22% 0.61% 0.61% 2.65% 320% $120,079
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.32 2.58% 0.62% 0.62% 2.25% 333% $139,813
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.42 1.21% 0.62% 0.62% 2.33% 356% $151,492
  
Prospectus 2020 377

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 379

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.42 0.03 0.40 0.43 (0.19) (0.19)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.47 0.08 (0.10) (0.02) (0.03) (0.03)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.51 0.06 0.08 0.14 (0.13) (0.05) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.07 0.01 0.43 0.44
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.49 (0.07) (0.01) (d) (0.08) (3.51) (0.83) (4.34)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.30 0.02 0.38 0.40 (0.17) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.37 0.06 (0.10) (0.04) (0.03) (0.03)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.41 0.05 0.08 0.13 (0.12) (0.05) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $4.99 0.00(e) 0.42 0.42
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.41 (0.02) (0.08) (d) (0.10) (3.49) (0.83) (4.32)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.39 0.03 0.39 0.42 (0.18) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.45 0.07 (0.10) (0.03) (0.03) (0.03)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.49 0.05 0.08 0.13 (0.12) (0.05) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.06 0.00(e) 0.43 0.43
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.48 (0.02) (0.07) (d) (0.09) (3.50) (0.83) (4.33)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Calculation of the net gain (loss) per share (both realized and unrealized) does not correlate to the aggregate realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of subscriptions and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to fluctuations in the market value of the portfolio.
(e) Rounds to zero.
380 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.66 7.90% 0.71% (c) 0.61% (c) 0.57% 62% $28
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.42 (0.33%) 0.71% (c) 0.61% (c) 1.41% 118% $11
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.47 2.66% 0.71% 0.62% 1.09% 99% $11
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.51 8.68% 0.68% 0.64% 0.18% 72% $11
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $5.07 (1.38%) 0.58% 0.58% (0.77%) 89% $11
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.53 7.63% 0.96% (c) 0.86% (c) 0.38% 62% $19,663
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.30 (0.71%) 0.95% (c) 0.86% (c) 1.14% 118% $17,272
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.37 2.46% 0.97% 0.87% 0.86% 99% $13,986
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.41 8.42% 0.93% 0.89% (0.07%) 72% $10,801
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $4.99 (1.64%) 0.89% 0.86% (0.28%) 89% $7,898
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.63 7.81% 0.83% (c) 0.73% (c) 0.49% 62% $89,128
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.39 (0.51%) 0.82% (c) 0.74% (c) 1.28% 118% $96,659
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $5.45 2.54% 0.84% 0.75% 0.97% 99% $111,829
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.49 8.50% 0.80% 0.77% 0.05% 72% $123,299
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $5.06 (1.49%) 0.76% 0.74% (0.23%) 89% $135,276
  
Prospectus 2020 381

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 383

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.65 0.34 6.33 6.67
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.27 0.27 (2.89) (2.62)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.68 0.17 3.42 3.59
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.78 0.15 3.75 3.90
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.73 0.14 (0.09) (c) 0.05
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.16 0.27 6.18 6.45
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.79 0.20 (2.83) (2.63)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.32 0.11 3.36 3.47
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.52 0.10 3.70 3.80
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.52 0.12 (0.12) (c) 0.00(d)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.42 0.31 6.25 6.56
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.05 0.23 (2.86) (2.63)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.51 0.14 3.40 3.54
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.66 0.12 3.73 3.85
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.63 0.14 (0.11) (c) 0.03
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Calculation of the net gain (loss) per share (both realized and unrealized) does not correlate to the aggregate realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of subscriptions and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to fluctuations in the market value of the portfolio.
(d) Rounds to zero.
384 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $30.32 28.20% 0.79% 0.79% 1.25% 39% $534,959
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.65 (9.97%) 0.79% 0.79% 1.00% 36% $442,931
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.27 15.83% 0.82% 0.82% 0.69% 41% $487,245
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.68 20.77% 0.88% 0.86% 0.71% 46% $409,756
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.78 0.27% 0.91% 0.89% 0.71% 53% $176,428
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.61 27.85% 1.04% 1.04% 1.00% 39% $54,158
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.16 (10.20%) 1.04% 1.04% 0.76% 36% $40,488
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.79 15.55% 1.07% 1.07% 0.46% 41% $40,477
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.32 20.52% 1.14% 1.11% 0.49% 46% $26,182
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.52 0.00% (d) 1.18% 1.14% 0.63% 53% $14,431
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.98 28.01% 0.91% 0.91% 1.12% 39% $67,484
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.42 (10.10%) 0.92% 0.92% 0.88% 36% $53,581
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.05 15.73% 0.95% 0.95% 0.57% 41% $57,946
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $22.51 20.63% 1.01% 0.99% 0.61% 46% $44,076
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.66 0.16% 1.05% 1.02% 0.73% 53% $27,637
  
Prospectus 2020 385

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Equity Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 387

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.84 0.27 4.74 5.01
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.48 0.24 (1.88) (1.64)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $17.00 0.20 3.28 3.48
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.49 0.22 1.29 1.51
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.40 0.64(c) (0.55) 0.09
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.47 0.21 4.63 4.84
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.12 0.18 (1.83) (1.65)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.75 0.15 3.22 3.37
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.29 0.18 1.28 1.46
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.24 0.65(d) (0.60) 0.05
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.65 0.24 4.68 4.92
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.29 0.21 (1.85) (1.64)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.87 0.18 3.24 3.42
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.38 0.20 1.29 1.49
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.31 0.62(c) (0.55) 0.07
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.39 per share.
(d) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.43 per share.
388 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Equity Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.85 26.59% 0.70% 0.69% 1.25% 129% $2,237,714
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.84 (8.01%) 0.70% 0.69% 1.13% 55% $1,775,821
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.48 20.47% 0.74% 0.74% 1.08% 51% $1,934,400
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.00 9.75% 0.79% 0.77% 1.39% 115% $1,670,305
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.49 0.58% 0.82% 0.77% 4.14% 67% $1,691,555
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.31 26.21% 0.95% 0.94% 1.00% 129% $10,760
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.47 (8.20%) 0.95% 0.94% 0.88% 55% $9,255
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.12 20.12% 0.99% 0.99% 0.83% 51% $10,507
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.75 9.55% 1.04% 1.02% 1.13% 115% $8,549
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.29 0.33% 1.07% 1.02% 4.22% 67% $8,239
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.57 26.38% 0.83% 0.81% 1.13% 129% $32,859
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.65 (8.08%) 0.83% 0.82% 1.00% 55% $31,196
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.29 20.27% 0.87% 0.87% 0.96% 51% $42,254
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.87 9.69% 0.92% 0.90% 1.27% 115% $42,830
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.38 0.46% 0.95% 0.89% 4.04% 67% $46,975
  
Prospectus 2020 389

 

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 391

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Increase
from
payment
by affiliate
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.24 0.28 4.52 4.80
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $28.01 0.25 (4.02) (3.77)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.14 0.19 1.68 1.87
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.81 0.09 5.24 0.00(c) 5.33
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $22.92 0.19 (2.30) (2.11)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.71 0.22 4.41 4.63
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.48 0.18 (3.95) (3.77)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.71 0.13 1.64 1.77
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.51 0.04 5.16 0.00(c) 5.20
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $22.65 0.14 (2.28) (2.14)
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.96 0.25 4.46 4.71
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.73 0.21 (3.98) (3.77)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $25.91 0.15 1.67 1.82
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.64 0.06 5.21 0.00(c) 5.27
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $22.77 0.17 (2.30) (2.13)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
(d) The Fund received a payment from an affiliate. Had the Fund not received this payment, the total return would have been lower by 0.01%.
392 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.04 19.80% 0.89% 0.88% 1.02% 75% $566,653
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.24 (13.46%) 0.88% 0.88% 0.88% 60% $574,250
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $28.01 7.16% 0.91% 0.91% 0.72% 115% $686,191
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $26.14 25.61% (d) 1.02% 0.93% 0.40% 60% $712,682
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.81 (9.21%) 1.07% 0.93% 0.84% 48% $985,530
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $28.34 19.53% 1.14% 1.13% 0.81% 75% $8,276
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.71 (13.72%) 1.13% 1.13% 0.65% 60% $6,673
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $27.48 6.88% 1.16% 1.16% 0.49% 115% $6,814
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $25.71 25.35% (d) 1.25% 1.18% 0.17% 60% $5,749
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.51 (9.45%) 1.32% 1.18% 0.65% 48% $4,017
Class 3
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $28.67 19.66% 1.01% 1.00% 0.92% 75% $94,282
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.96 (13.60%) 1.01% 1.00% 0.74% 60% $89,379
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $27.73 7.02% 1.04% 1.04% 0.59% 115% $120,392
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $25.91 25.53% (d) 1.13% 1.05% 0.29% 60% $134,434
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.64 (9.36%) 1.19% 1.05% 0.77% 48% $129,360
  
Prospectus 2020 393

 

Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio Funds
70100 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
70100
Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about each Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which each Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6466-99 AT (05/20)
Supplement dated May 1, 2020
to the Prospectus of the following fund:
Fund Prospectus Dated
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II  
 Variable Portfolio - Partners International Core Equity Fund (the Fund) 5/1/2020
On March 17, 2020 the Fund's Board of Trustees approved the addition of a subadviser and changes to the Fund's principal investment strategies effective at a date to be determined (the Effective Date), which will be announced via a future supplement. As a result, on the Effective Date, Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (SIMNA Inc.), together with its affiliate, Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (SIMNA Ltd. and together with SIMNA Inc., Schroders) will assume day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund's portfolio. Accordingly, as of the Effective Date, the changes described in this Supplement are hereby made to the Fund’s Prospectus.
The information under the subsection "Principal Investment Strategies” in the "Summary of VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Additionally, environmental, social and/or governance (ESG) criteria are used in selecting investments for the Fund.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. The Fund’s consideration of issuer environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors may cause the Fund to invest in, forgo investing in, or sell securities of issuers, including issuers within certain industries, sectors, regions and countries, that could negatively impact Fund performance, including relative to a benchmark or other funds without such consideration of ESG factors.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The fourth paragraph under the subsection "Performance Information” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The Fund’s performance prior to the Effective Date reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadvisers and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The information under the subsection "Fund Management” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (SIMNA Inc.)
Sub-Subadviser: Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (SIMNA Ltd.) (SIMNA Inc. and SIMNA Ltd., collectively referred to as Schroders)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
James Gautrey, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Schroders   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
Simon Webber, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Schroders   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
The third paragraph under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers that provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund (collectively, the Subadvisers): AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR) and Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (SIMNA Inc.), together with its affiliate, Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (SIMNA Ltd. and together with SIMNA Inc., Schroders). The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy.
The information under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Schroders
Schroders relies on a fundamental, research-driven, bottom-up approach to identify issuers it believes offer the potential for capital growth. Schroders considers factors such as a company’s potential for above average earnings growth, a security’s attractive relative valuation, whether a company has proprietary advantages, and certain environmental, social and/or governance (ESG) criteria.
S-6546-139 A (5/20)

 

With respect to its ESG analysis, Schroders conducts a comprehensive ESG assessment. Each stock is also given an explicit risk score for its ESG profile which factors into the overall risk score and position sizing decisions. While all holdings may not have a low ESG risk score, it is considered as part of the holistic assessment, weighed against materiality and other factors and a key consideration in Schroders’ decision to purchase and sell securities.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. The Fund’s consideration of issuer environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors may cause the Fund to invest in, forgo investing in, or sell securities of issuers, including issuers within certain industries, sectors, regions and countries, that could negatively impact Fund performance, including relative to a benchmark or other funds without such consideration of ESG factors.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The first paragraph under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreement with SIMNA Inc. and the adoption of the investment sub-subadvisory agreement between SIMNA Inc. and SIMNA Ltd. will be available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2020.
The second paragraph and "Subadviser" header under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section are hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Subadviser" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
SIMNA Inc., which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since the Effective Date, is located at 7 Bryant Park, New York, NY 10018. SIMNA Inc., subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. SIMNA Inc. is also responsible for the supervision of SIMNA Ltd., an affiliate of SIMNA Inc., located at 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA, UK, which assists in providing day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund pursuant to a sub-subadvisory agreement with SIMNA Inc. SIMNA Inc. and SIMNA Ltd. (together, Schroders) are registered investment advisers. Schroders plc, Schroders ultimate parent, is a global asset management company. Schroders plc and its affiliates have clients that are major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, high net worth individuals, financial intermediaries and retail investors.
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Portfolio Managers" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (SIMNA Inc.)
Sub-Subadviser: Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (SIMNA Ltd.) (SIMNA Inc. and SIMNA Ltd., collectively referred to as Schroders)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
James Gautrey, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Schroders   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
Simon Webber, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Schroders   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
Mr. Gautrey joined Schroders in 2001 and currently serves as a portfolio manager for international equity portfolios. He earned a B.Sc. in economics from the University College London.
Mr. Webber joined Schroders in 1999 and currently serves as a portfolio manager for global and international equity portfolios. He earned a B.Sc. in physics from the University of Manchester.
Shareholders should retain this Supplement for future reference.
2
S-6546-139 A (5/20)


Supplement dated May 1, 2020
to the Prospectus of the following fund:
Fund Prospectus Dated
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II  
 Variable Portfolio - Partners International Growth Fund (the Fund) 5/1/2020
On March 17, 2020 the Fund's Board of Trustees approved the addition of a subadviser and changes to the Fund's principal investment strategies effective at a date to be determined (the Effective Date), which will be announced via a future supplement. As a result, on the Effective Date, Walter Scott & Partners Limited (Walter Scott) will assume day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund's portfolio. Accordingly, as of the Effective Date, the changes described in this Supplement are hereby made to the Fund’s Prospectus.
The information under the subsection "Principal Investment Strategies” in the "Summary of VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to remove "Focused Portfolio Risk" and to add the following:
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The fourth paragraph under the subsection "Performance Information” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The Fund’s performance prior to the Effective Date reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadvisers and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The information under the subsection "Fund Management” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Walter Scott & Partners Limited (Walter Scott)
Investment decisions for the Fund are made by Walter Scott’s investment team and ratified by the Investment Executive (IE). The investment team is overseen by Walter Scott’s Investment Management Committee (IMC). The following are members of Walter Scott’s IE. The IE ratifies all new purchase decisions and determines portfolio allocations. These individuals also have responsibility with the IMC.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Roy Leckie   Executive Director of Walter Scott and Co-Chair of Walter Scott’s IMC   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
Charlie Macquaker   Executive Director of Walter Scott and Co-Chair of Walter Scott’s IMC   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
Jane Henderson   Managing Director of Walter Scott   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
The first two paragraphs under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section are hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from
S-6546-141 A (5/20)

 

time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: Walter Scott & Partners Limited (Walter Scott) and William Blair Investment Management, LLC (William Blair) (Walter Scott and William Blair, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy.
The information under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Walter Scott
Walter Scott seeks investment opportunities in companies with fundamental strengths that indicate the potential for sustainable growth. Walter Scott focuses on individual stock selection, building its portion of the Fund’s portfolio from the bottom up through extensive fundamental research.
Walter Scott’s investment process begins with the screening of reported company financials. Companies that meet certain broad absolute and trend criteria are candidates for more detailed financial analysis. For these companies, Walter Scott restates the company’s income statement, flow of funds, and balance sheet to a cash basis. This analysis assists Walter Scott in identifying the nature of the operating margin, working capital management and the profitability and financing model of the company. Core to the analysis is thorough understanding of the cash generating strengths of a company and thereby a company’s ability to achieve self-financed growth so far as possible. If a company passes Walter Scott’s stringent financial criteria, Walter Scott then conducts a detailed investigation of the company’s products, cost and pricing, competition and industry position and outlook. Walter Scott will also typically meet with senior management of a company as part of the research process. The objective underlying all aspects of this extensive process is to understand whether the company has the ability to generate sustained growth in the future. In assessing the valuation of an individual stock, Walter Scott uses various measures, including price-to-earnings ratio versus growth rate, price-to-cash and price-to-book. Walter Scott’s investment team collectively reviews and selects those stocks that meet Walter Scott’s criteria and where the expected growth rate is combined with a reasonable valuation for the underlying equity. A buy proposal requires the backing of the broad investment team while a sell decision requires only one dissenting voice.
Geographic and sector allocations are results of, not part of, Walter Scott’s investment process, because the investment team’s sole focus is on the analysis of and investment in individual companies. Walter Scott does not use benchmark indices as a tool for active portfolio management. Walter Scott believes that a patient investment approach is necessary to give the companies in which its portion of the Fund invests an opportunity to realize their growth potential and to allow for compounding of returns.
Walter Scott typically sells a stock when it no longer possesses the characteristics that caused its purchase. A stock may be a sell candidate when its valuation reaches or exceeds its calculated fair value, or there are deteriorating fundamentals. Walter Scott may reduce the weighting of a stock held by its portion of the Fund if it becomes overweighted as determined by Walter Scott.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to remove "Focused Portfolio Risk" and to add the following:
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The first paragraph under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreement with Walter Scott will be available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2020.
The second paragraph and "Subadviser" header under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section are hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
2
S-6546-141 A (5/20)

 

The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Subadviser" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Walter Scott, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since the Effective Date, is located at One Charlotte Square, Edinburgh EH2 4DR, UK. Walter Scott, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Walter Scott is a non-bank subsidiary and 100% owned by The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon) and manages equity portfolios for institutional clients around the world, including public and private pension funds, endowments, foundations, family offices, insurers and financial organizations.
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Portfolio Managers" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Growth Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Walter Scott & Partners Limited (Walter Scott)
Investment decisions for the Fund are made by Walter Scott’s investment team and ratified by the Investment Executive (IE). The investment team is overseen by Walter Scott’s Investment Management Committee (IMC). The following are members of Walter Scott’s IE. The IE ratifies all new purchase decisions and determines portfolio allocations. These individuals also have responsibility with the IMC.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Roy Leckie   Executive Director of Walter Scott and Co-Chair of Walter Scott’s IMC   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
Charlie Macquaker   Executive Director of Walter Scott and Co-Chair of Walter Scott’s IMC   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
Jane Henderson   Managing Director of Walter Scott   IE Member (portfolio management)   the Effective Date
Mr. Leckie began his investment career in 1995 when he joined Walter Scott. He has a B.Sc. in statistics from the University of Glasgow.
Mr. Macquaker began his investment career in 1991 when he joined Walter Scott. He has a B.Sc. in European studies from the University of Buckingham.
Ms. Henderson began her investment career in 1995 when she joined Walter Scott. She has a B.Sc. in marine and environmental biology from the University of St. Andrews.
Shareholders should retain this Supplement for future reference.
3
S-6546-141 A (5/20)


Supplement dated May 1, 2020
to the Prospectus of the following fund:
Fund Prospectus Dated
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II  
 Variable Portfolio - Partners International Value Fund (the Fund) 5/1/2020
On March 17, 2020 the Fund's Board of Trustees approved the addition of a subadviser and changes to the Fund's principal investment strategies effective at a date to be determined (the Effective Date), which will be announced via a future supplement. As a result, on the Effective Date, Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (TSW) will assume day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund's portfolio. Accordingly, as of the Effective Date, the changes described in this Supplement are hereby made to the Fund’s Prospectus.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The fourth paragraph under the subsection "Performance Information” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The Fund’s performance prior to the Effective Date reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadvisers and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The information under the subsection "Fund Management” in the “Summary of VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (TSW)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brandon Harrell, CFA   Portfolio Manager of TSW   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
The fifth paragraph under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (DFA) and Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (TSW) (DFA and TSW, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy.
The information under the subsection “Principal Investment Strategies” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
TSW
TSW employs a relative value process utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods based on a four-factor valuation screen. The initial universe consists of approximately 3,000 actively traded non-U.S. stocks. Parts one and two of the screen attempt to assess a company’s attractiveness based on cash flows relative to other international stocks and as compared to their industry or sector peers. The third factor considers the relative earnings prospects of the company. The fourth factor involves looking at the company’s recent price action. From the model, approximately 300 stocks are identified for further research. These are the stocks that rank the highest on the basis of these four factors combined. TSW generally limits its investment universe to those companies with a minimum of three years of operating history.
TSW’s analysts also perform a rigorous fundamental analysis, exploring numerous factors that may affect the outlook for a company. They evaluate publicly available information including sell-side research, company filings, and trade periodicals. The analysts may speak with company management to hear their perspectives and outlook on pertinent business issues. They apply a consistent and disciplined review in a team environment that encourages critical thinking and analysis for each company considered for investment. A portfolio of stocks is selected as a result of this process.
S-6546-140 A (5/20)

 

Established positions in TSW’s portion of the Fund are ranked daily and reviewed regularly in the same manner to re-examine their fundamental and valuation characteristics. TSW’s portfolio management team meets periodically to discuss each stock’s place in the Fund. TSW employs a consistent sell discipline which includes a significant negative earnings revision, a stock being sold when the catalyst is no longer valid or another stock presents a more attractive opportunity.
The information under the subsection “Principal Risks” in the “More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
The first paragraph under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreement with TSW will be available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2020.
The second paragraph and "Subadviser" header under the subsection "Portfolio Management" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section are hereby superseded and replaced with the following:
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Subadviser" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
TSW, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since the Effective Date, is located at 6641 West Broad Street, Suite 600, Richmond, VA 23230. TSW, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. TSW is an indirect subsidiary of BrightSphere Investment Group Inc., a New York Stock Exchange listed company. TSW has been a registered investment adviser since 1970 and provides value-oriented investment advisory and management services in the areas of domestic equity, international equity, long/short equity and fixed income securities through a range of market capitalization strategies and a variety of investment vehicles to corporations, pensions and profit-sharing plans, 401(k) and thrift plans, trusts, estates and other institutions and individuals.
The information under the subsection "Portfolio Management - Portfolio Managers" in the "More Information About VP - Partners International Value Fund" section is hereby revised to add the following:
Subadviser: Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC (TSW)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brandon Harrell, CFA   Portfolio Manager of TSW   Co-Portfolio Manager   the Effective Date
Mr. Harrell joined TSW in 1996. Mr. Harrell began his investment career in 1987 and earned a B.A. from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from George Mason University.
Shareholders should retain this Supplement for future reference.
2
S-6546-140 A (5/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Variable Portfolio Funds

    
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund
(known as CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund prior to 5/1/20)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund
(known as CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund prior to 5/1/20 and
CTIVP® – Oppenheimer International Growth Fund prior to 5/20/19)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund
(known as CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund prior to 5/1/20)
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
 

  
Each above-named Columbia Variable Portfolio, CTIVP® and Variable Portfolio Fund (each a “VP Fund” or a “Fund” and together the “VP Funds” or the “Funds”) may offer Class 1 and Class 2 to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and certain other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents
SUMMARIES OF THE FUNDS
Investment Objective(s), Fees and Expenses of the Fund, Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Performance Information, Fund Management, Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Tax Information, Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS
Investment Objective(s), Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Portfolio Management
 

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Prospectus 2020 1

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents (continued)

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2 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio (VP) – Limited Duration Credit Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a level of current income consistent with preservation of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.48% 0.48%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.50% 0.75%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.49% 0.74%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.49% for Class 1 and 0.74% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $50 $159 $279 $627
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $239 $416 $929
Prospectus 2020 3

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 110% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in corporate bonds. The Fund primarily invests in debt securities with short- and intermediate-term maturities generally similar to those included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index (the Index). The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund’s duration is managed to help reduce volatility associated with changes in interest rates. Under normal conditions, the Fund will target duration to be similar to or lower than that of the Index, but will not exceed that of the Index by more than one year. As of March 31, 2020, the duration of the Index was 2.70 years.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures), to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund may also use these instruments for other purposes.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate RiskCredit Risk, Market Risk and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the
4 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be
Prospectus 2020 5

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
Prospectus 2020 7

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 2.81%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2015 -1.77%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 7.69% 2.58% 2.72%
Class 2 05/07/2010 7.47% 2.35% 2.46%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   6.99% 2.90% 3.15%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tom Murphy, CFA   Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Investment Grade Credit   Lead Portfolio Manager   2010
Royce D. Wilson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2012
John Dawson, CFA   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   February 2020
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Prospectus 2020 9

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.49% 0.49%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.50% 0.75%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $51 $160 $280 $628
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $77 $240 $417 $930
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government,
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Although the Fund emphasizes high- and medium-quality debt securities, it may assume increased credit risk by investing in below investment-grade fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and certain U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). Ginnie Mae is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Securities issued or guaranteed by other U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, they are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures) and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) in an effort to manage interest rate exposure, to produce incremental earnings, to hedge existing positions, and to increase market exposure and investment flexibility.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Derivatives Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 3.96%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -2.72%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 9.73% 3.39% 3.72%
Class 2 05/07/2010 9.40% 3.12% 3.46%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Robert Gahagan   Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century (Global Macro Strategy Team Representative)   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Alejandro Aguilar, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Jeffrey Houston, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Brian Howell   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Charles Tan   Senior Vice President and Co-Chief Investment Officer, Global Fixed Income of American Century (Global Macro Strategy Team Representative)   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.75% 0.75%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.77% 1.02%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $79 $246 $428 $954
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $104 $325 $563 $1,248
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 70% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities issued by companies in the real estate industry. A company is considered to be in the real estate industry if it (i) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the ownership, construction, management, financing or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate or (ii) has at least 50% of the fair market value of its assets invested in residential, commercial or industrial real estate. Companies in the real estate industry include, among others, real estate operating companies (REOCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Real Estate-Related Investment Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Industry Concentration Risk. Investments that are concentrated in a particular industry will make the Fund’s portfolio value more susceptible to the events or conditions impacting that particular industry.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise
Prospectus 2020 21

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)
prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)
to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended. Because the value of REITs and other real estate-related companies may fluctuate widely in response to changes in factors affecting the real estate markets, the value of an investment in the Fund may be more volatile than the value of an investment in a fund that is invested in a more diverse range of market sectors.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to June 2016 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 16.22%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -20.22%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 26.41% 5.64% 8.27%
Class 2 05/07/2010 26.16% 5.39% 7.99%
FTSE Nareit Equity REITs Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   26.00% 7.21% 11.25%
  
Prospectus 2020 23

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: CenterSquare Investment Management LLC (CenterSquare)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dean Frankel, CFA   Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Securities of CenterSquare   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Eric Rothman, CFA   Portfolio Manager of CenterSquare   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
24 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.66% 0.66%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.69% 0.94%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $221 $384 $859
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large-capitalization companies believed to have the potential for long-term growth. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging market securities, directly or indirectly through depositary receipts.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)
The Fund will not concentrate its assets in any single industry but may from time to time invest more than 25% of its assets in companies conducting business in various industries within an economic sector. The Fund will typically invest in a limited number of companies.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Growth Securities Risk, Large-Cap Stock RiskMarket Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)
Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prospectus 2020 27

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to March 2014 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadviser had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 15.98%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -14.92%
28 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 31.76% 14.89% 14.69%
Class 2 05/07/2010 31.43% 14.60% 14.41%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   36.39% 14.63% 15.92%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (Loomis Sayles)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Aziz Hamzaogullari, CFA   Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Founder of the Growth Equity Strategies Team, and Portfolio Manager of Loomis Sayles   Portfolio Manager   2014
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Prospectus 2020 29

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.68% 0.68%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.69% 0.94%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $221 $384 $859
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 72% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund’s subadviser uses quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Sector Risk and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by
Prospectus 2020 31

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Investors have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. Investments are also subject to certain tax risks and conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services,
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2017 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadviser had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 17.43%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -15.40%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 32.61% 12.27% 13.81%
Class 2 05/07/2010 32.28% 11.99% 13.52%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   36.39% 14.63% 15.92%
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. (Los Angeles Capital)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas Stevens, CFA   Chairman, CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Hal Reynolds, CFA   Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Daniel Allen, CFA   President and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Daniel Arche, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.69% 0.69%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.70% 0.95%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $72 $224 $390 $871
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $97 $303 $525 $1,166
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets are invested primarily in equity securities. The Fund invests primarily in stocks of companies that are believed to be undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies). Value companies tend to have stock prices that are low relative to their earnings, dividends, assets, or other financial measures.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and depositary receipts for such securities.
While the Fund may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Fund generally focuses on large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies are defined by the Fund as those companies with market capitalizations of at least $5 billion at the time of purchase.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Value Securities Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
36 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
38 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 12.78%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -15.34%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 29.83% 9.23% 11.73%
Class 2 05/07/2010 29.51% 8.96% 11.45%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 12.01%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Katherine Cannan   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Nevin Chitkara   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Steve Gorham*   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
* Effective December 31, 2020, Steve Gorham will no longer serve as a portfolio manager of the Fund.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible
Prospectus 2020 39

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.65% 0.65%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.66% 0.91%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $67 $211 $368 $822
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $93 $290 $504 $1,120
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 80% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund has exposure to equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and limited partnership interests. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, the Fund primarily focuses on large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging market investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. The Fund typically employs a focused portfolio investing style, which results in fewer holdings than a fund that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a greater number of issuers.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market RiskLarge-Cap Stock Risk, Sector Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as
Prospectus 2020 43

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Investors have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. Investments are also subject to certain tax risks and conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and are subject to liquidity risk which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2016 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 18.38%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -16.84%
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP®– Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 27.17% 13.84% 14.05%
Class 2 05/07/2010 26.85% 13.55% 13.76%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   36.39% 14.63% 15.92%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (MSIM)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dennis Lynch   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Sam Chainani, CFA   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Jason Yeung, CFA   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Armistead Nash   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
David Cohen   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Alexander Norton   Executive Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital and income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.68% 0.68%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.69% 0.94%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $221 $384 $859
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 28% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund’s subadviser seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but, in the opinion of the subadviser, have good prospects for capital appreciation. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Value Securities Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
48 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high
Prospectus 2020 49

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to November 2016 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 4th Quarter 2011 12.17%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -14.11%
50 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 26.58% 6.98% 10.49%
Class 2 05/07/2010 26.22% 6.70% 10.21%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   26.54% 8.29% 12.01%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Heather McPherson   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Mark Finn, CFA, CPA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
John Linehan, CFA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.48% 0.48%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.49% 0.74%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $50 $157 $274 $616
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $237 $411 $918
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 209% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities, including debt securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign governments, companies or other entities, bank loans and other obligations. Other obligations include any other security or instrument in which there is a requirement or obligation to repay money borrowed. For purposes of its 80% test, the
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
Fund treats investment in loans as “debt securities,” even though loans may not be “securities” under certain of the federal securities laws. The Fund invests at least 60% of its net assets in debt securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated in at least one of the three highest rating categories or are unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration at the Fund level.
Up to 25% of the Fund's net assets may be invested in foreign investments (including in emerging markets), which may include investments of up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities. In connection with its strategy relating to foreign investments, the Fund may buy or sell foreign currencies in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) and futures contracts (including interest rate futures) for hedging purposes and to manage duration of the Fund.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may also hold/invest in cash, money market instruments (which may include investments in one or more affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or similar vehicles) or other high-quality, short-term investments, including for the purpose of covering its obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants
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Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment
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Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to March 2014 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2019 3.11%
Worst

4th Quarter 2016 -2.79%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 9.01% 2.96% 3.02%
Class 2 05/07/2010 8.58% 2.70% 2.76%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: TCW Investment Management Company LLC (TCW)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tad Rivelle   Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income of TCW since December 2009   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Laird Landmann   Co-Director of Fixed Income and Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Stephen Kane, CFA   Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Bryan Whalen, CFA   Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income consistent with capital preservation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.42% 0.42%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.43% 0.68%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $44 $138 $241 $542
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $69 $218 $379 $847
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 632% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Government obligations, including debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored entities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets within non-government mortgage and asset-backed securities.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
In pursuit of its objective, the Fund will purchase only securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, within the two highest rating categories assigned by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, or if deemed to be of comparable quality. As part of the Fund’s investment strategy, it may invest in stripped securities (securities that have been transformed from a principal amount with periodic interest coupons into a series of zero-coupon bonds, with the range of maturities matching the coupon payment dates and the redemption date of the principal amount) or enter into mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements. In addition, the Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, and to a lesser extent, other securities rated AA- or Aa3 that the Fund’s subadviser believes will sufficiently outperform U.S. Treasuries. Generally, the portfolio’s overall dollar-weighted average effective duration is less than that of a 3-year U.S. Treasury note.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures), to hedge interest rate exposure of the Fund.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk. Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and affects the amounts distributed to its shareholders, which may cause the Fund to sell investments to obtain cash to make income distributions to shareholders, including at times when it may not be advantageous to do so.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2019 1.31%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -0.69%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 3.57% 1.33% 1.40%
Class 2 05/07/2010 3.33% 1.08% 1.14%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Government Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   3.59% 1.40% 1.17%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas O’Connor, CFA*   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Maulik Bhansali, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Jarad Vasquez   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
* Mr. O’Connor has announced his intention to retire from WellsCap effective December 31, 2020. Accordingly, after December 31, 2020, all references to Mr. O’Connor are hereby removed.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.81% 0.81%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.83% 1.08%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $85 $265 $460 $1,025
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $110 $343 $595 $1,317
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 70% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those companies with a market capitalization that falls within the range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $64.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Sector Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 21.15%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -15.79%
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 42.14% 11.23% 12.87%
Class 2 05/07/2010 41.80% 10.96% 12.58%
Russell Midcap Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   35.47% 11.60% 14.49%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. (Westfield)
The Westfield Investment Committee (the “Committee”) is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day investment decision making for the Fund. Investment decisions for the Fund are made by consensus of the Committee, which is chaired by William A. Muggia. Although the Committee collectively acts as portfolio manager for the Fund, Westfield lists the following Committee members, based on seniority and role within the Committee, as having day-to-day management responsibilities for the Fund.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
William Muggia   President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Richard Lee, CFA   Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Ethan Meyers, CFA   Director of Research and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners Core Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while conserving the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.47% 0.47%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.48% 0.73%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $49 $154 $269 $604
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $75 $233 $406 $906
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 321% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund invests primarily in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements, as well as invest in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign issuers.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Credit Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2017 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadvisers had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2019 3.09%
Worst

4th Quarter 2016 -2.89%
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Summary of VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 8.61% 3.05% 3.50%
Class 2 05/07/2010 8.39% 2.78% 3.24%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Richard Figuly   Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of JPMIM   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Justin Rucker   Executive Director and Portfolio Manager of JPMIM   Co-Portfolio Manager   2019
Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas O’Connor, CFA*   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Maulik Bhansali, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Jarad Vasquez   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
* Mr. O’Connor has announced his intention to retire from WellsCap effective December 31, 2020. Accordingly, after December 31, 2020, all references to Mr. O’Connor are hereby removed.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners International Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.77% 0.77%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.79% 1.04%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $252 $439 $978
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $106 $331 $574 $1,271
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of foreign issuers, located or traded in countries other than the U.S., that are believed to offer strong growth potential. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests its assets in companies whose market capitalizations fall within the range of the companies that comprise the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $613.5
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
million to $305.9 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including index futures), forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), as well as in foreign currencies and exchange-traded funds, for hedging purposes, to gain exposure to the equity market and to maintain liquidity to pay for redemptions. A portion of the Fund's assets may be held in cash or cash-equivalent investments, including, but not limited to, short-term investment funds and money market funds.
Quantitative models are used as part of the investment process for the Fund. The models consider a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to, value and momentum.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities RiskMarket Risk, and Large-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social,
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Model and Data Risk. Given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Fund’s subadviser may rely heavily on quantitative models and information and traditional and non-traditional data supplied by third parties (Models and Data). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund’s investments.
When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in forecasting movements in industries, sectors or companies and/or in determining the size, direction and/or the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated, and major losses may result.
The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Momentum Style Risk. Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy suffers more than that of a Fund not following a momentum strategy.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2018 reflects returns achieved by a subadviser that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 12.27%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -21.03%
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Summary of VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 18.76% 3.20% 5.18%
Class 2 05/07/2010 18.41% 2.95% 4.91%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Michele Aghassi, Ph.D.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Andrea Frazzini, Ph.D.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Ronen Israel   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Lars Nielsen   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners International Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.90% 0.90%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.93% 1.18%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.92% 1.17%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.92% for Class 1 and 1.17% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $94 $295 $514 $1,142
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $119 $374 $648 $1,431
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Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 113% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 70 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for
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Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
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Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as
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Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2019 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadviser(s) that managed the Fund according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s current subadviser and strategies had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 10.85%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -17.94%
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 26.70% 4.21% 6.58%
Class 2 05/07/2010 26.36% 3.97% 6.32%
MSCI EAFE Growth Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   27.90% 7.71% 8.28%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: William Blair Investment Management, LLC (William Blair)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Simon Fennell   Partner of William Blair   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Kenneth McAtamney   Partner of William Blair   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners International Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.85% 0.85%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.88% 1.13%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.04%) (0.04%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.84% 1.09%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.84% for Class 1 and 1.09% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $86 $277 $484 $1,081
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $111 $355 $618 $1,371
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 22% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large non-U.S. companies associated with developed markets that the Fund’s portfolio managers determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its assets in companies in three or more non-U.S. developed market countries. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
Investments for the Fund will not be based upon an issuer’s dividend payment policy or record. However, many of the companies whose securities will be included in the Fund’s portfolio pay dividends. It is anticipated, therefore, that the Fund will receive dividend income.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) in connection with the settlement of equity trades or the exchange of one currency for another and futures contracts (including equity and index futures) to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, and Value Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to November 2011 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadviser had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 3rd Quarter 2013 13.61%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -23.98%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 13.53% 3.39% 3.59%
Class 2 05/07/2010 13.20% 3.13% 3.33%
MSCI EAFE Value Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   16.09% 3.54% 5.59%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (DFA)
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jed Fogdall   Global Head of Portfolio Management, Chairman of the Investment Committee, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2011
Arun Keswani, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2020
Mary Phillips, CFA   Deputy Head of Portfolio Management, North America, member of the Investment Committee, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Bhanu Singh   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio (VP) – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.86% 0.86%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.02% 0.02%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.88% 1.13%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.01%) (0.01%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.87% 1.12%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.87% for Class 1 and 1.12% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $89 $280 $487 $1,083
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $114 $358 $621 $1,374
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 90% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in the equity securities of small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies are defined as those companies with a market capitalization, at the time of purchase, of up to $2.5 billion, or that fall within the range of the Russell 2000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.9 million to $11.3 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the health care sector, industrials sector, and information technology sector.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each subadviser employs an active investment strategy. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small-capitalization companies (small-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and securities of small-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the health care sector, industrials sector, and information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Health Care Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the health care sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s performance prior to May 2019 reflects returns achieved by one or more different subadvisers. If the Fund’s current subadvisers had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 15.53%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -22.22%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 05/07/2010 21.26% 6.82% 10.13%
Class 2 05/07/2010 20.95% 6.55% 9.85%
Russell 2000 Growth Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   28.48% 9.34% 13.21%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
Subadviser: BMO Asset Management Corp. (BMO)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Corris, CFA   Portfolio Manager of BMO   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Thomas Lettenberger, CFA   Portfolio Manager of BMO   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Subadviser: Scout Investments, Inc. (Scout)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
James McBride, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Scout   Lead Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Timothy Miller, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Scout   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Joseph Eberhardy, CFA, CPA   Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Thomas Ognar, CFA   Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
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Summary of VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a level of current income consistent with preservation of capital. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in corporate bonds. The Fund primarily invests in debt securities with short- and intermediate-term maturities generally similar to those included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index (the Index). The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund’s duration is managed to help reduce volatility associated with changes in interest rates. Under normal conditions, the Fund will target duration to be similar to or lower than that of the Index, but will not exceed that of the Index by more than one year. As of March 31, 2020, the duration of the Index was 2.70 years. Duration measures the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. For example, a three-year duration means a bond is expected to decrease in value by 3% if interest rates rise 1% and increase in value by 3% if interest rates fall 1%.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures), to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund may also use these instruments for other purposes.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments by:
Emphasizing an independent, proprietary credit research process of issuers of debt securities;
Analyzing issuer-specific inputs, such as business strategy, management strength, competitive position and various financial metrics to identify the most attractive securities within each industry;
Investing opportunistically in lower-quality (junk) bonds based on relative valuations and risk-adjusted return expectations;
Utilizing quantitative risk controls and qualitative risk assessments in a framework that seeks to minimize issuer credit risk.
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors:
Change in an issuer’s credit fundamentals relative to the Fund investment team’s expectations;
Changes to the fundamental attractiveness of a sector, industry group, or security;
Changes to the risk/reward trade-off of an issuer;
The potential development of event risk;
Adjustments needed to change overall portfolio risk.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate RiskCredit Risk, Market Risk and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund (continued)
loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund (continued)
that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase
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Variable Portfolio Funds
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Credit Fund (continued)
prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
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affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is
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not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Portfolio Management
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Portfolio Managers
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tom Murphy, CFA   Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Investment Grade Credit   Lead Portfolio Manager   2010
Royce D. Wilson, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2012
John Dawson, CFA   Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   February 2020
Mr. Murphy joined the Investment Manager in 2002. Mr. Murphy began his investment career in 1986 and earned a B.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Wilson joined the Investment Manager in 2007. Mr. Wilson began his investment career in 2002 and earned a B.B.A. from Western Connecticut State University.
Mr. Dawson joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2004. Mr. Dawson began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.A. in Economics from Bucknell University and an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Accounting from Indiana University.
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More Information About CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Although the Fund emphasizes high- and medium-quality debt securities, it may assume increased credit risk by investing in below investment-grade fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and certain U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). Ginnie Mae is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Securities issued or guaranteed by other U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, they are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures) and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) in an effort to manage interest rate exposure, to produce incremental earnings, to hedge existing positions, and to increase market exposure and investment flexibility.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The selection of debt obligations is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, American Century decides which debt securities to buy and sell by considering:
the desired maturity requirements for the portfolio;
the portfolio’s credit quality standards;
current and anticipated interest rates;
current economic conditions and the risk of inflation; and/or
special features of the debt securities that may make them more or less attractive.
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Because the Fund will own many debt securities, American Century calculates the average of the remaining maturities of all the debt securities the Fund owns to evaluate the interest rate sensitivity of the entire investment portfolio. This average is weighted according to the size of the Fund’s individual holdings and is called the weighted average maturity. American Century generally seeks to maintain the weighted average maturity of the Fund’s investment portfolio at three and one-half years or longer. Within this maturity limit, American Century may shorten the investment portfolio’s maturity during periods of rising interest rates in order to seek to reduce the effect of bond price declines on the Fund’s value. When interest rates are falling and bond prices are rising, American Century may lengthen the portfolio’s maturity.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Derivatives Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar).
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  Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or
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  otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the
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U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing
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regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the
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Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities
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or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with American Century is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Subadviser
American Century, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2010, is located at 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111. American Century, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. American Century, founded in 1958, is an independent, privately-controlled asset management firm dedicated to delivering superior investment performance and building long-term client relationships. American Century manages client portfolios based on various investment strategies, including, for example, global growth equity, global value equity, fixed income, disciplined equity and multi-asset strategies.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Robert Gahagan   Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century (Global Macro Strategy Team Representative)   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Alejandro Aguilar, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Jeffrey Houston, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Brian Howell   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of American Century   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Charles Tan   Senior Vice President and Co-Chief Investment Officer, Global Fixed Income of American Century (Global Macro Strategy Team Representative)   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Mr. Gahagan joined American Century in 1983. Mr. Gahagan began his investment career in 1983 and earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Mr. Aguilar joined American Century in 2003. Mr. Aguilar began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.A. from the University of California-Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
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Mr. Houston joined American Century in 1990. Mr. Houston began his investment career in 1986 and earned a B.A. from the University of Delaware and an M.A. from Syracuse University.
Mr. Howell joined American Century in 1987. Mr. Howell began his investment career in 1987 and earned a B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of California-Berkeley.
Mr. Tan joined American Century in 2018. Prior to joining American Century, Mr. Tan worked at Aberdeen Standard Investments from 2005 to 2018. Mr. Tan began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.S. from University of International Business and Economics, Beijing and an M.B.A from Bucknell University.
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More Information About CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income and capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities issued by companies in the real estate industry. A company is considered to be in the real estate industry if it (i) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the ownership, construction, management, financing or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate or (ii) has at least 50% of the fair market value of its assets invested in residential, commercial or industrial real estate. Companies in the real estate industry include, among others, real estate operating companies (REOCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, CenterSquare Investment Management LLC (CenterSquare or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
CenterSquare applies fundamental investment research techniques when deciding which securities to buy or sell. Typically, CenterSquare:
Monitors factors such as real estate trends and industry fundamentals of real estate sectors including office, apartment, retail, hotel, and industrial.
Selects stocks by evaluating each company’s real estate value, quality of its assets, and management record for improving earnings and increasing asset value relative to other publicly traded real estate companies.
Sells all or part of the Fund’s holdings in a particular security if CenterSquare believes:
The security appreciates to a premium relative to other real estate companies; or
The anticipated return is not sufficient compared with the risk of continued ownership.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Real Estate-Related Investment Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Industry Concentration Risk. Investments that are concentrated in a particular industry will make the Fund’s portfolio value more susceptible to the events or conditions impacting that particular industry.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
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Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended. Because the value of REITs and other real estate-related companies may fluctuate widely in response to changes in factors affecting the real estate markets, the value of an investment in the Fund may be more volatile than the value of an investment in a fund that is invested in a more diverse range of market sectors.
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Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with CenterSquare is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
CenterSquare Investment Management LLC, or its predecessor (CenterSquare Investment Management, Inc.), which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since June 2016, is located at 630 West Germantown Pike, Suite 300, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. CenterSquare, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. CenterSquare was organized and formed in September 2017 to focus exclusively on opportunities in the real estate securities market, including publicly traded REITs. CenterSquare also provides private discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to institutional and high net worth investors in the form of separate accounts and pooled investment vehicles.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: CenterSquare Investment Management LLC (CenterSquare)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dean Frankel, CFA   Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Securities of CenterSquare   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Eric Rothman, CFA   Portfolio Manager of CenterSquare   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Mr. Frankel joined CenterSquare in 1997. Mr. Frankel began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Rothman joined CenterSquare in 2006. Mr. Rothman began his investment career in 1995 and earned a B.A. in Economics from Boston University.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large-capitalization companies believed to have the potential for long-term growth. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging market securities, directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies.
The Fund will not concentrate its assets in any single industry but may from time to time invest more than 25% of its assets in companies conducting business in various industries within an economic sector. The Fund will typically invest in a limited number of companies.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (Loomis Sayles or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
Loomis Sayles normally invests across a wide range of sectors and industries. Loomis Sayles employs a growth style of equity management that seeks to emphasize companies with sustainable competitive advantages, long-term structural growth drivers, attractive cash flow returns on invested capital, and management teams focused on creating long-term value for shareholders. Loomis Sayles aims to invest in companies when they trade at a significant discount to Loomis Sayles’ estimate of intrinsic value.
Loomis Sayles will consider selling a portfolio investment when it believes an unfavorable structural change occurs within a given business or the markets in which it operates, a critical underlying investment assumption is flawed, when a more attractive reward-to-risk opportunity becomes available, when current price fully reflects intrinsic value, or for other investment reasons which Loomis Sayles deems appropriate.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Growth Securities Risk, Large-Cap Stock RiskMarket Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio manager to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks
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associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that
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depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets.
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Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Loomis Sayles is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
Loomis Sayles, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since March 2014, is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. Loomis Sayles, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Loomis Sayles is an indirect subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, LLC. which is an indirect subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers (Natixis IM), an international asset management group based in Paris, France. Natixis IM is in turn owned by Natixis, a French investment banking and financial services firm. Natixis is principally owned by BPCE Groupe, France’s second largest banking group. Loomis Sayles provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory or subadvisory services to a variety of investment funds and institutional clients through its separate account management services, as well as, investment advisory or subadvisory services in connection with certain wrap programs.
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Portfolio Manager
Information about the portfolio manager primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and ownership by the portfolio manager of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (Loomis Sayles)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Aziz Hamzaogullari, CFA   Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Founder of the Growth Equity Strategies Team, and Portfolio Manager of Loomis Sayles   Portfolio Manager   2014
Mr. Hamzaogullari joined Loomis Sayles in 2010. Mr. Hamzaogullari began his investment industry career in 1993 and earned a B.S. from Bilkent University in Turkey and an M.B.A. from George Washington University.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology and technology-related sectors.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. (Los Angeles Capital or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
Los Angeles Capital employs a quantitative and dynamic approach to extract fundamental drivers of stock performance in the current market environment. The investment process considers a range of valuation, earnings, financial, market, and management characteristics to identify current drivers of return. Utilizing these characteristics, Los Angeles Capital constructs risk controlled, forward looking portfolios designed to adapt to changing market conditions.
Los Angeles Capital will consider selling a security if it no longer views the characteristics of the stock favorably.
The Fund’s Subadviser uses quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Sector Risk and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of these units have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. These units may be subject to cash flow and dilution risks. There are also certain tax risks associated with such an investment. In particular, the Fund’s investment in master limited partnerships can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders,
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subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments. In addition, there are risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
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Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Los Angeles Capital is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
Los Angeles Capital, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2017, is an SEC registered investment adviser located at 11150 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Los Angeles Capital, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Los Angeles Capital is a discretionary institutional global asset manager registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Los Angeles Capital was founded in 2002 and is organized as a California corporation. Los Angeles Capital provides investment management advice across a range of equity investment strategies that are broadly categorized as U.S. equities, Emerging Markets equities, Global equities, Developed Markets outside the U.S. equities, and long/short equities.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. (Los Angeles Capital)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas Stevens, CFA   Chairman, CEO and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Hal Reynolds, CFA   Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
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Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Daniel Allen, CFA   President and Senior Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Daniel Arche, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Los Angeles Capital   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Mr. Stevens co-founded Los Angeles Capital in 2002. Mr. Stevens began his investment career in 1976 and earned a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from University of Wisconsin.
Mr. Reynolds co-founded Los Angeles Capital in 2002. Mr. Reynolds began his investment career in 1982 and earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from University of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Allen joined Los Angeles Capital in 2009. Mr. Allen began his investment career in 1983 and earned a B.B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University and an M.B.A. from University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mr. Arche joined Los Angeles Capital in 2007. Mr. Arche began his investment career in 2006 and earned a B.B.A. from University of Southern California.
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More Information About CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets are invested primarily in equity securities. The Fund invests primarily in stocks of companies that are believed to be undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies). Value companies tend to have stock prices that are low relative to their earnings, dividends, assets, or other financial measures.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and depositary receipts for such securities.
Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. While the Fund may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Fund generally focuses on large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies are defined by the Fund as those companies with market capitalizations of at least $5 billion at the time of purchase.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
MFS uses an active “bottom-up” investment approach to buying and selling investments for the Fund. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of individual issuers and their potential in light of their financial condition, and market, economic, political and regulatory conditions. Factors considered may include analysis of an issuer’s earnings, cash flows, competitive position, and management ability. MFS may also consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in its fundamental investment analysis. Quantitative screening tools that systematically evaluate an issuer’s valuation, price and earnings momentum, earnings quality, and other factors may also be considered. The Subadviser may sell a holding for a variety of reasons, such as to seek to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into opportunities believed to be more promising, among others.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Value Securities Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common
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stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a
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number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than
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expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with MFS is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Subadviser
MFS, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2010, is located at 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02199. MFS, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. MFS and its predecessor organizations have a history of money management dating from 1924 and the founding of the first U.S. mutual fund. MFS is a subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings, Inc., which in turn is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. (a diversified financial services company). MFS provides investment advisory services to a range of institutional clients and pooled investment vehicles.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Katherine Cannan   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Nevin Chitkara   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Steve Gorham*   Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of MFS   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
* Effective December 31, 2020, Steve Gorham will no longer serve as a portfolio manager of the Fund.
Ms. Cannan has been employed in the investment area of MFS since 2013. Ms. Cannan earned a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Chitkara has been employed in the investment area of MFS since 1997. Mr. Chitkara earned a B.S. from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Gorham has been employed in the investment area of MFS since 1992. Mr. Gorham earned a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. from Boston College.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund has exposure to equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and limited partnership interests. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, the Fund primarily focuses on large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging market investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. The Fund typically employs a focused portfolio investing style, which results in fewer holdings than a fund that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a greater number of issuers.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (MSIM or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
The Subadviser emphasizes a bottom-up stock selection process, seeking attractive investments on an individual company basis. In selecting investments, the Subadviser seeks to invest in companies with strong name recognition and sustainable competitive advantages. The Subadviser typically favors companies with rising returns on invested capital, above average business visibility, strong free cash flow generation and an attractive risk/reward.
Fundamental research drives the Subadviser’s investment process. The Subadviser studies on an ongoing basis company developments, including business strategy and financial results. The Subadviser generally considers selling a portfolio holding when it determines that the holding no longer satisfies its investment criteria.
The Subadviser actively integrates sustainability into the investment process by using environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors as a lens for additional fundamental research, which can contribute to investment decision-making. MSIM conducts research to examine how environmental and social initiatives within companies can drive enterprise value by creating growth opportunities, reducing risk, driving profitability, strengthening durable competitive advantages and/or aligning with secular growth trends. Other aspects of the investment process include a proprietary, systematic evaluation of governance policies, specifically focusing on compensation alignment on long-term value creation. The Subadviser does not treat ESG as a deterministic, reductive screen, nor as a portfolio construction tool layered on top of a passive vehicle.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market RiskLarge-Cap Stock Risk, Sector Risk and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and
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economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations
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and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of these units have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. These units may be subject to cash flow and dilution risks. There are also certain tax risks associated with such an investment. In particular, the Fund’s investment in master limited partnerships can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments. In addition, there are risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
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Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants may be acquired separately or in connection with the acquisition of securities. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and subject the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Rights are typically short-term instruments that are valued separately and trade in the secondary market during a subscription (or offering) period. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with MSIM is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
MSIM, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2016, is located at 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036. MSIM, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. MSIM is organized as a Delaware corporation and has been registered with the SEC since 1981. MSIM
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provides investment and risk-management solutions to a wide range of investors and institutions including corporations, pension plans, intermediaries, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, endowments and foundations, individual investors (including high net worth), governments and consultant partners worldwide.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (MSIM)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Dennis Lynch   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Sam Chainani, CFA   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Jason Yeung, CFA   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Armistead Nash   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
David Cohen   Managing Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Alexander Norton   Executive Director and Investor of MSIM   Portfolio Manager   2016
Mr. Lynch joined MSIM in 1998. Mr. Lynch began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.A. from Hamilton College and an M.B.A., with honors, in finance from Columbia University.
Mr. Chainani joined MSIM in 1996. Mr. Chainani began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.S. from Binghamton University.
Mr. Yeung joined MSIM in 2002. Mr. Yeung began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Cambridge.
Mr. Nash joined MSIM in 2002. Mr. Nash began his investment career in 2000 and earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Mr. Cohen joined MSIM in 1993. Mr. Cohen began his investment career in 1988 and earned a B.S. from Pace University.
Mr. Norton joined MSIM in 1995. Mr. Norton began his investment career in 1990 and earned B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia Business School.
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More Information About CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital and income. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
The Subadviser seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but, in the opinion of the Subadviser, have good prospects for capital appreciation. In selecting investments, the Subadviser generally looks for one or more of the following:
low price/earnings, price/book value, price/sales, or price/cash flow ratios relative to the broader equity market, the company’s peers, or its own historical norm;
low stock price relative to a company’s underlying asset values;
companies that may benefit from restructuring activity;
a sound balance sheet and other positive financial characteristics; and/or
fundamental or other factors or reasons, including an extraordinary corporate event, a new product introduction or innovation, a favorable competitive development, or a change in management.
The Subadviser may sell securities for a variety of reasons, including, among others, to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into what are believed to be more promising opportunities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Value Securities Risk, Changing Distribution Level Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in
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unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with T. Rowe Price is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Subadviser
T. Rowe Price, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since November 2016, is located at 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. T. Rowe Price, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. T. Rowe Price is a Maryland corporation founded in 1937 that provides investment management services to individual and institutional investors, and sponsors and serves as adviser and subadviser to registered investment companies, institutional separate accounts, and common trust funds.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
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Subadviser: T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Heather McPherson   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Mark Finn, CFA, CPA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
John Linehan, CFA   Vice President and Portfolio Manager of
T. Rowe Price
  Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Ms. McPherson joined T. Rowe Price in 2002. Ms. McPherson began her investment career in 2001 and earned a B.S. from the University of California-Davis and an M.B.A. from Duke University.
Mr. Finn joined T. Rowe Price in 1990. Mr. Finn began his investment career in 1985 and earned a B.S. from the University of Delaware.
Mr. Linehan joined T. Rowe Price in 1998. Mr. Linehan began his investment career in 1987 and earned a B.A. from Amherst College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
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More Information About CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return through current income and capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities, including debt securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign governments, companies or other entities, bank loans and other obligations. Other obligations include any other security or instrument in which there is a requirement or obligation to repay money borrowed. For purposes of its 80% test, the Fund treats investment in loans as “debt securities,” even though loans may not be “securities” under certain of the federal securities laws. The Fund invests at least 60% of its net assets in debt securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated in at least one of the three highest rating categories or are unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration at the Fund level.
The Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity and duration will vary over time depending on expectations for market and economic conditions. Duration measures the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. For example, a three-year duration means a bond is expected to decrease in value by 3% if interest rates rise 1% and increase in value by 3% if interest rates fall 1%. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk.
Up to 25% of the Fund's net assets may be invested in foreign investments (including in emerging markets), which may include investments of up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities. In connection with its strategy relating to foreign investments, the Fund may buy or sell foreign currencies in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) and futures contracts (including interest rate futures) for hedging purposes and to manage duration of the Fund.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may also hold/invest in cash, money market instruments (which may include investments in one or more affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or similar vehicles) or other high-quality, short-term investments, including for the purpose of covering its obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, TCW Investment Management Company LLC (TCW or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
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TCW seeks to enhance the Fund's performance through the measured and diversified application of five fixed income management strategies: (1) duration management, (2) yield curve positioning, (3) sector allocation, (4) security selection, and (5) opportunistic execution. TCW's investment philosophy is predicated on a long-term economic outlook, and investments are characterized by diversification among the sectors of the fixed income marketplace. In seeking to identify undervalued securities, TCW focuses on such investment metrics as current yield, potential for price appreciation, position in capital structure relative to other creditors, yield to maturity, rating, duration, and liquidity. The most important facet of TCW's portfolio construction process is the application of independent, bottom-up research in an effort to identify securities that are undervalued and that offer a superior risk/return profile. TCW seeks to control risk through a variety of techniques including diversification, duration constraints, and quantitative scenario analysis.
TCW may sell portfolio securities when it determines to take advantage of a better investment opportunity because TCW believes that its current portfolio securities within its sleeve no longer represent relatively attractive investment opportunities.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Confidential Information Access Risk. In many instances, issuers of floating rate loans offer to furnish material, non-public information (Confidential Information) to prospective purchasers or holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans to help potential investors assess the value of the loan. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of Confidential Information about the issuers of floating rate loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information from these issuers may disadvantage the Fund as compared to other floating rate loan investors, and may adversely affect the price the Fund pays for the loans it purchases, or the price at which the Fund sells the loans. Further, in situations when holders of floating rate loans are asked, for example, to grant consents, waivers or amendments, the ability to assess the desirability thereof may be compromised. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no
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or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price
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(liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Restrictions on currency trading may be imposed by foreign countries, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Even though the currencies of some countries may be pegged to the U.S. dollar, the conversion rate may be controlled by government regulation or intervention at levels significantly different than what would normally prevail in a free market. Significant revaluations of the U.S. dollar exchange rate of these currencies could cause substantial reductions in the Fund’s NAV.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a
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particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields).
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Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk.
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The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). This exposes the Fund to the risk that the receipt of principal and interest payments may be late due to delayed interest settlement. Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets, although many covenants may be waived or modified with the consent of a certain percentage of the holders of the loans even if the Fund does not consent. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, including the Fund. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more
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senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders. The remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. From time to time, disagreements may arise amongst the holders of loans and debt in the capital structure of an issuer, which may give rise to litigation risks, including the risk that a court could take action adverse to the holders of the loan, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund will usually succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and the Fund normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund would also be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund’s pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may also be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank’s financial condition.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be
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supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debtholders. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal
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Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with TCW is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
TCW, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since March 2014, is located at 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, California 90017. TCW, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. TCW is an independent registered investment adviser. TCW was organized in 1971 and provides a variety of investment management and investment advisory services.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: TCW Investment Management Company LLC (TCW)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tad Rivelle   Group Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income of TCW since December 2009   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Laird Landmann   Co-Director of Fixed Income and Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Stephen Kane, CFA   Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Bryan Whalen, CFA   Group Managing Director of TCW   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
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Mr. Rivelle joined TCW in 2009 during the acquisition of MetWest. Prior to joining TCW in December 2009, Mr. Rivelle was Chief Investment Officer, portfolio manager and a founding partner with MetWest since 1996. Mr. Rivelle began his investment career in 1986 and earned a B.S. from Yale University, a Master's Degree in applied mathematics from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson.
Mr. Landmann joined TCW in 2009 during the acquisition of MetWest. Prior to joining TCW in December 2009, Mr. Landmann was a portfolio manager and a founding partner with MetWest since 1996. Mr. Landmann began his investment career in 1986 and earned a B.S. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mr. Kane joined TCW in 2009 during the acquisition of Metropolitan West Asset Management, LLC (MetWest). Prior to joining TCW in December 2009, Mr. Kane was a portfolio manager and a founding partner with MetWest since 1996. Mr. Kane began his investment career in 1990 and earned a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mr. Whalen joined TCW in 2009 during the acquisition of MetWest. Prior to joining TCW in December 2009, Mr. Whalen was co-head of MetWest’s Securitized Products division. Mr. Whalen began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.A. from Yale University.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income consistent with capital preservation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Government obligations, including debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored entities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets within non-government mortgage and asset-backed securities.
In pursuit of its objective, the Fund will purchase only securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, within the two highest rating categories assigned by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, or if deemed to be of comparable quality. As part of the Fund’s investment strategy, it may invest in stripped securities (securities that have been transformed from a principal amount with periodic interest coupons into a series of zero-coupon bonds, with the range of maturities matching the coupon payment dates and the redemption date of the principal amount) or enter into mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements. In addition, the Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, and to a lesser extent, other securities rated AA- or Aa3 that the Fund’s subadviser believes will sufficiently outperform U.S. Treasuries. Generally, the portfolio’s overall dollar-weighted average effective duration is less than that of a 3-year U.S. Treasury note. Duration measures the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. For example, a three-year duration means a bond is expected to decrease in value by 3% if interest rates rise 1% and increase in value by 3% if interest rates fall 1%.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures), to hedge interest rate exposure of the Fund.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the Subadviser chooses debt securities that it believes:
offer competitive returns;
are undervalued; and/or
offer additional income and/or price appreciation potential relative to other debt securities of similar credit quality and interest rate sensitivity.
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Subadviser considers, among other factors, whether:
The security has achieved its designed return;
The security or its sector has become overvalued; and/or
A more attractive opportunity becomes available or the security is no longer attractive due to its risk profile or as a result of changes in the overall market environment.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Credit Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying
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reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund
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reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include derivatives and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major
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derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or
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financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be
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supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities. For example, stripped mortgage-backed securities have greater interest rate risk than mortgage-backed securities with like maturities, and stripped treasury securities have greater interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) than traditional government securities with identical credit ratings.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments).
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Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk. Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and affects the amounts distributed to its shareholders, which may cause the Fund to sell investments to obtain cash to make income distributions to shareholders, including at times when it may not be advantageous to do so.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with WellsCap is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Subadviser
WellsCap, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2010, is located at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. WellsCap, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. WellsCap was established in 1996 and provides advisory and subadvisory services to mutual funds, public and corporate retirement plans, and corporations.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
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Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas O’Connor, CFA*   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Maulik Bhansali, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Jarad Vasquez   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
* Mr. O’Connor has announced his intention to retire from WellsCap effective December 31, 2020. Accordingly, after December 31, 2020, all references to Mr. O’Connor are hereby removed.
Mr. O’Connor joined WellsCap in 2000. Mr. O’Connor began his investment career in 1988 and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont.
Mr. Bhansali joined WellsCap in 2001. Mr. Bhansali began his investment career in 2001 and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and International Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Financial Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Vasquez joined WellsCap in 2007. Mr. Vasquez began his investment career in 2001 and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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More Information About CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those companies with a market capitalization that falls within the range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $64.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. (Westfield or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
The Fund invests primarily in stocks of domestic growth companies that Westfield believes have a demonstrated record of achievement with excellent prospects for earnings growth over a 1- to 3-year period.
In choosing securities, Westfield looks for companies that it believes are reasonably priced with high forecasted earnings potential. The Fund will invest in companies that Westfield believes have shown above-average and consistent long-term growth in earnings and have excellent prospects for future growth.
The Fund generally will sell a security if one or more of the following occurs: Westfield’s predetermined price target objective is exceeded; there is an alteration to the original investment case; valuation relative to the stock’s peer group is no longer attractive; or better risk/reward opportunities may be found in other stocks.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Mid-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Sector Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Westfield is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
Westfield, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since September 2017, is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111. Westfield, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund, as well as investment research and statistical information under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Westfield was founded in, and has been a registered investment adviser since, 1989 and provides separate account investment management services for institutions and high net worth individuals.
Portfolio Managers
The Westfield Investment Committee (the “Committee”) is jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day investment decision making for the Fund. Investment decisions for the Fund are made by consensus of the Committee, which is chaired by William A. Muggia. Although the Committee collectively acts as portfolio manager for the Fund, Westfield lists the following Committee members, based on seniority and role within the Committee, as having day-to-day management responsibilities for the Fund.
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
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Subadviser: Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. (Westfield)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
William Muggia   President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Richard Lee, CFA   Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Ethan Meyers, CFA   Director of Research and Managing Partner of Westfield   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Mr. Muggia joined Westfield in 1994. Mr. Muggia began his investment career in 1983 and earned a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Lee joined Westfield in 2004. Mr. Lee began his investment career in 1994 and earned an A.B. from Harvard College.
Mr. Meyers joined Westfield in 1999. Mr. Meyers began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.S. from Tulane University.
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More Information About VP – Partners Core Bond Fund
Investment Objective
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while conserving the value of the investment for the longest period of time. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund invests primarily in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements, as well as invest in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign issuers.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM) and Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap) (JPMIM and WellsCap, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments.
Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy.
JPMIM
JPMIM analyzes four major factors in managing and constructing the Fund’s investment portfolio: duration, market sectors, maturity concentrations and individual securities. JPMIM looks for market sectors and individual securities that it believes will perform well over time. JPMIM selects individual securities after performing a risk/reward analysis that includes an evaluation of interest rate risk, credit risk and the complex legal and technical structure of the transaction.
JPMIM incorporates a bottom-up, value-oriented approach to fixed income investment management, including:
identifying securities that it believes are priced inefficiently;
making sector allocation decisions based on a broad sector outlook, utilizing expected return and valuation analysis;
managing the yield curve, with an emphasis on evaluating relative risk/reward relationships along the yield curve; and
managing portfolio duration, primarily as a risk control measure.
WellsCap
WellsCap uses a bottom-up security selection process, focusing on the more liquid sectors of the bond market and active relative value management. WellsCap manages portfolio duration and yield curve exposure relatively close to that of the benchmark, in order to ensure that security selection is the primary driver of performance.
WellsCap invests in debt securities that they believe offer competitive returns and are undervalued, offering additional income and/or price appreciation potential relative to other debt securities of similar credit quality and interest rate sensitivity. WellsCap may sell a security that has achieved its desired return or if they believe the
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security or its sector has become overvalued. WellsCap may also sell a security if a more attractive opportunity becomes available or if the security is no longer attractive due to its risk profile or as a result of changes in the overall market environment.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Interest Rate Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Credit Risk, Market Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to
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the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may
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also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of
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prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose
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of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreements with JPMIM and WellsCap is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
JPMIM, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2010, is located at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179. JPMIM, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. JPMIM was incorporated in 1984 and provides a broad range of investment strategies to meet the diverse requirements of their clients’ investment needs.
WellsCap, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2017, is located at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. WellsCap, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. WellsCap was established in 1996 and provides advisory and subadvisory services to mutual funds, public and corporate retirement plans, and corporations.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JPMIM)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Richard Figuly   Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of JPMIM   Co-Portfolio Manager   2016
Justin Rucker   Executive Director and Portfolio Manager of JPMIM   Co-Portfolio Manager   2019
Mr. Figuly joined JPMIM in 1993 and is a member of the Global Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities (GFICC) group. Based in Columbus, Mr. Figuly is a portfolio manager for JPMIM’s U.S. Value Driven team and is responsible for managing institutional taxable bond portfolios. Mr. Figuly began his investment career in 1994 and holds a B.S. in finance from Ohio State University.
Mr. Rucker joined JPMIM in 2006 and is a member of the Global Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities (GFICC) group. Mr. Rucker is a portfolio manager for JPMIM’s U.S. Value Driven team and is responsible for managing Long Duration and Core Bond institutional taxable bond portfolios. Mr. Rucker began his investment career in 1999 and holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Dayton and an M.B.A. from Capital University.
Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Thomas O’Connor, CFA*   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Maulik Bhansali, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Jarad Vasquez   Senior Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
* Mr. O’Connor has announced his intention to retire from WellsCap effective December 31, 2020. Accordingly, after December 31, 2020, all references to Mr. O’Connor are hereby removed.
Mr. O’Connor joined WellsCap in 2000. Mr. O’Connor began his investment career in 1988 and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont.
Mr. Bhansali joined WellsCap in 2001. Mr. Bhansali began his investment career in 2001 and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and International Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Financial Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Vasquez joined WellsCap in 2007. Mr. Vasquez began his investment career in 2001 and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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More Information About VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund
Investment Objective
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of foreign issuers, located or traded in countries other than the U.S., that are believed to offer strong growth potential. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests its assets in companies whose market capitalizations fall within the range of the companies that comprise the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $613.5 million to $305.9 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including index futures), forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), as well as in foreign currencies and exchange-traded funds, for hedging purposes, to gain exposure to the equity market and to maintain liquidity to pay for redemptions. A portion of the Fund's assets may be held in cash or cash-equivalent investments, including, but not limited to, short-term investment funds and money market funds.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
AQR
In constructing the Fund’s portfolio, AQR utilizes a quantitative investment process. A quantitative investment process is a systematic method of evaluating securities and other assets by analyzing a variety of data through the use of models – or processes – to generate an investment opinion. The models consider a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to, value and momentum.
Value strategies favor securities that appear relatively inexpensive based on fundamental measures. Examples of value strategies include using price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios.
Momentum strategies favor securities with strong recent performance and positive changes in fundamentals.
In addition to these two main factors, AQR may use a number of additional factors based on its proprietary research, including but not limited to, quality and sentiment. AQR may add to or modify the factors employed in selecting investments.
AQR determines the weight of each equity security in the portfolio using portfolio optimization techniques, taking into account its assessment of attractiveness of the equity security based on various factors, including those described above, stock weights in the benchmark index, estimated transaction costs associated with trading each equity security, and other criteria that form part of AQR’s security selection process. Individual investments may be sold or closed out during a rebalancing process, the frequency of which is expected to vary depending on its ongoing evaluation of certain factors including changes in market conditions and how much the actual portfolio deviates from the target portfolio.
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The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities RiskMarket Risk, and Large-Cap Stock Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse
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movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). The effectiveness of any currency strategy by a Fund may be reduced by the Fund's inability to precisely match forward contract amounts and the value of securities involved. Forward foreign currency contracts used for hedging may also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase or decrease in the value of the currency. Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there
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has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Restrictions on currency trading may be imposed by foreign countries, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Even though the currencies of some countries may be pegged to the U.S. dollar, the conversion rate may be controlled by government regulation or intervention at levels significantly different than what would normally prevail in a free market. Significant revaluations of the U.S. dollar exchange rate of these currencies could cause substantial reductions in the Fund’s NAV.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital
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gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single EU country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the UK voted to leave the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). On January 31, 2020, the UK formally exited the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there is a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The
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impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. For more information on the risks associated with Brexit, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. A significant portion of Japan's trade is conducted with developing nations in East and Southeast Asia and its economy can be affected by conditions and currency fluctuations in these and other countries. For a number of years, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. Securities in Japan are denominated and quoted in yen. As a result, the value of the Fund's Japanese securities as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Securities traded on Japanese stock exchanges have exhibited significant volatility in recent years. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
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Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Model and Data Risk. Given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Fund’s subadviser may rely heavily on quantitative models and information and traditional and non-traditional data supplied by third parties (Models and Data). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund’s investments.
When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. For example, by relying on Models and Data, the subadviser may be induced to buy certain investments at prices that are too high, to sell certain other investments at prices that are too low, or to miss favorable opportunities altogether. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in forecasting movements in industries, sectors or companies and/or in determining the size, direction, and/or the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. For example, such models may incorrectly forecast future behavior, leading to potential losses on a cash flow and/or a mark-to-market basis. In addition, in unforeseen or certain low-probability scenarios (often involving a market disruption of some kind), such models may produce unexpected results, which can result in losses for the Fund. Furthermore, because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data.
All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments. Model prices can differ from market prices as model prices are typically based on assumptions and estimates derived from recent market data that may not remain realistic or relevant in the future. To address these issues, the subadviser may evaluate model prices and outputs versus recent transactions or similar securities, and as a result, such models may be modified from time to time.
The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated. The subadviser’s testing of its Models and Data are directed in part at identifying these risks, but there is no guarantee that these risks will be effectively managed. If and to the extent that the models do not reflect certain factors, and the subadviser does not successfully address such omissions through its testing and evaluation and modify the models accordingly, major losses may result.
The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. Any modification of the models or strategies will not be subject to any requirement that shareholders receive notice of the change or that they consent to it. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Momentum Style Risk. Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy suffers more than that of a Fund not following a momentum strategy.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming
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shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with AQR is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
AQR, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2018, is located at Two Greenwich Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830. AQR, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. AQR is a registered investment adviser. AQR was organized as a Delaware limited liability company in 1998 and provides investment management services to registered investment companies, collective investment vehicles, private investment partnerships, foreign investment companies and separately managed accounts.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: AQR Capital Management, LLC (AQR)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Michele Aghassi, Ph.D.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Andrea Frazzini, Ph.D.   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Ronen Israel   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Lars Nielsen   Portfolio Manager and Principal of AQR   Co-Portfolio Manager   January 2020
Dr. Aghassi is a Principal of AQR. Dr. Aghassi joined AQR in 2005 and currently serves as a portfolio manager for the firm’s equity strategies. She earned a B.Sc. in applied mathematics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Frazzini is a Principal of AQR. Dr. Frazzini joined AQR in 2008 and currently serves as the Head of AQR’s Global Stock Selection team. He earned a B.S. in economics from the University of Rome III, an M.S. in economics from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University.
Mr. Israel is a Principal of AQR. Mr. Israel joined AQR in 1999 and currently serves as the Co-Head of Portfolio Management, Research, Risk and Trading and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He earned a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a B.A.S. in biomedical science from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, and an M.A. in mathematics from Columbia University.
Mr. Nielsen is a Principal of AQR. Mr. Nielsen joined AQR in 2000 and currently serves as the Co-Head of Portfolio Management, Research, Risk and Trading and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He earned a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. in economics from the University of Copenhagen.
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More Information About VP – Partners International Growth Fund
Investment Objective
VP – Partners International Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 70 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, William Blair Investment Management, LLC (William Blair or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
William Blair
In choosing investments for the Fund’s portfolio, William Blair performs fundamental company analysis and focuses on stock selection. William Blair generally seeks equity securities, including common stocks, of companies that it considers to be “leaders” as they are viewed to have had, historically, superior growth, profitability and quality relative to local markets and relative to companies within the same industry worldwide, and are expected by William Blair to continue such performance. More specifically, companies sought are believed to exhibit superior business fundamentals, including leadership in their field, quality products or services, distinctive marketing and distribution, pricing flexibility and revenue from products or services consumed on a steady, recurring basis. These business characteristics should be accompanied by management that is shareholder return-oriented and that uses conservative accounting policies. Companies believed to have above-average returns on equity, strong balance sheets and consistent, above-average earnings growth will be the primary focus. Stock selection will take into account both local and global comparisons.
William Blair will vary the Fund’s sector and geographic diversification based upon its ongoing evaluation of economic, market and political trends throughout the world. In making decisions regarding country allocation, William Blair will consider such factors as the conditions and growth potential of various economies and securities markets, currency exchange rates, technological developments in the various countries and other pertinent financial, social, national and political factors.
A holding becomes a potential sell candidate if it is believed to start showing deteriorating earnings trends, fundamentals, or an unjustifiably excessive valuation. Significant management/strategy changes, poor governance, excessive acquisitions, or a deterioration in short- and long-term growth expectations may also trigger a sale. Other sell triggers can include a violation of position size, region, sector, or capitalization constraints.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Foreign Securities Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and
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economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations
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and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. A number of countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact that country, other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified in a region with more developed countries and economies. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Continued growth of economies and securities markets in the region will require sustained economic and fiscal discipline, as well as continued commitment to governmental and regulatory reforms. Development also may be influenced by international economic conditions, including those in the United States and Japan, and by world demand for goods or natural resources produced in countries in the Asia Pacific region. Securities markets in the region are generally smaller and have a lower trading volume than those in the United States, which may result in the securities of some companies in the region being less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities. Some currencies, inflation rates or interest rates in the Asia Pacific region are or can be volatile, and some countries in the region may restrict the flow of money in and out of the country. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk” and  “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single EU country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the UK voted to leave the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). On January 31, 2020, the UK formally exited the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there is a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The
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impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. For more information on the risks associated with Brexit, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which
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may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect
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such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreement with William Blair is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadviser
William Blair, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2019, is located at 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606. William Blair, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. William Blair was founded in 1935 and provides investment management services to mutual funds, private and public pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: William Blair Investment Management, LLC (William Blair)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Simon Fennell   Partner of William Blair   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Kenneth McAtamney   Partner of William Blair   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Mr. Fennell joined William Blair in 2011. Mr. Fennell began his investment career in 1997 and earned an M.A. from the University of Edinburgh and an M.B.A. from the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University.
Mr. McAtamney joined William Blair in 2005. Mr. McAtamney began his investment career in 1997 and earned a B.A. in finance from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University.
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Investment Objective
VP – Partners International Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large non-U.S. companies associated with developed markets that the Fund’s portfolio managers determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its assets in companies in three or more non-U.S. developed market countries. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
Investments for the Fund will not be based upon an issuer’s dividend payment policy or record. However, many of the companies whose securities will be included in the Fund’s portfolio pay dividends. It is anticipated, therefore, that the Fund will receive dividend income.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) in connection with the settlement of equity trades or the exchange of one currency for another and futures contracts (including equity and index futures) to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Fund.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadviser, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (DFA or the Subadviser), which provides day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund.
DFA
DFA’s stock selection process generally seeks to identify stocks of large non-U.S. companies that it determines, in its view, to be “value” stocks at the time of purchase and are associated with developed market countries that DFA has designated as approved markets (Approved Markets). DFA considers value stocks to be primarily those issued by companies with a low price in relation to their book value. In assessing value, DFA may consider additional factors, such as price to cash flow or price to earnings ratios as well as economic conditions and developments in the issuer’s industry. In assessing profitability, DFA may consider different ratios, such as that of earnings or profits from operations relative to book value or assets. The criteria DFA uses for assessing value or profitability are subject to change from time to time. DFA purchases stocks of large companies primarily located in developed market countries that have been designated as Approved Markets by DFA. DFA may purchase dual-listed securities or equity securities in the form of depositary receipts, which may be listed or traded outside the issuer’s domicile country, to gain exposure to companies associated with Approved Markets.
Securities that are associated with an Approved Market include, among others: (a) securities of companies that are organized under the laws of, or maintain their principal place of business in, an Approved Market; (b) securities for which the principal trading market is in an Approved Market; (c) securities issued or guaranteed by the government of an Approved Market, its agencies or instrumentalities, or the central bank of such country or territory; (d) securities denominated in an Approved Market currency issued by companies to finance operations in Approved Markets; (e) securities of companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in Approved Markets or have at least 50% of their assets in Approved Markets; (f) equity securities of companies in Approved Markets in the form of depositary shares; or (g) securities included in the Fund’s benchmark index.
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In the countries or regions authorized for investment, DFA first ranks eligible companies listed on selected exchanges based on the companies’ market capitalizations. DFA then determines the universe of eligible stocks by defining the minimum market capitalization of a large company that may be purchased by the Fund with respect to each country or region. This threshold will vary by country or region. DFA may adjust the representation in the Fund of an eligible company, or exclude a company after considering such factors as free float, momentum, trading strategies, liquidity, size, value, profitability, as well as other factors that DFA determines appropriate, given market conditions. Through this approach and its judgment, DFA will seek to set country weights based in part on the relative market capitalization of eligible large companies within each country. The weightings of countries in the Fund may vary from their weightings in international indices, such as those published by FTSE International, MSCI or Citigroup.
DFA may sell some or all of its position in a security if it believes the security no longer meets one or more of the eligibility criteria for purchase that are described above or, if requested by the Investment Manager, to provide liquidity for fund redemptions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, DFA retains discretion over the decision to sell any given security at any time.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, and Value Securities Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or
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otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
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Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital
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gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single EU country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the UK voted to leave the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). On January 31, 2020, the UK formally exited the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there is a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The
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impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods. For more information on the risks associated with Brexit, see the Statement of Additional Information.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. A significant portion of Japan's trade is conducted with developing nations in East and Southeast Asia and its economy can be affected by conditions and currency fluctuations in these and other countries. For a number of years, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. Securities in Japan are denominated and quoted in yen. As a result, the value of the Fund's Japanese securities as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Securities traded on Japanese stock exchanges have exhibited significant volatility in recent years. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
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Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with DFA is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadviser began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadviser below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadviser began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadviser’s management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
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Subadviser
DFA, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since November 2011, is located at 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746. DFA, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and other information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. DFA has been in business since 1981 and manages equity, fixed income, and other strategies for institutional investors generally and clients of independent financial advisors based on a systematic and process-driven approach.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (DFA)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Jed Fogdall   Global Head of Portfolio Management, Chairman of the Investment Committee, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2011
Arun Keswani, CFA   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2020
Mary Phillips, CFA   Deputy Head of Portfolio Management, North America, member of the Investment Committee, Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Bhanu Singh   Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager of DFA   Co-Portfolio Manager   2015
Mr. Fogdall joined DFA in 2004. Mr. Fogdall began his investment career in 2004 and earned a B.S. from Purdue University and an M.B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles.
Mr. Keswani joined DFA in 2011. Mr. Keswani began his investment career in 2000 and earned a B.S. from Purdue University, an M.S. from Pennsylvania State University and an M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management.
Ms. Phillips joined DFA in 2012. Ms. Phillips began her investment career in 2003 and earned a B.A. from the University of Puget Sound and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mr. Singh joined DFA originally in 2003. Mr. Singh began his investment career in 2003 and earned a B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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More Information About VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in the equity securities of small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies are defined as those companies with a market capitalization, at the time of purchase, of up to $2.5 billion, or that fall within the range of the Russell 2000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.9 million to $11.3 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the health care sector, industrials sector, and information technology sector.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) serves as the investment manager to the Fund and is responsible for the oversight of the Fund’s subadvisers: BMO Asset Management Corp. (BMO), Scout Investments, Inc. (Scout), and Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap) (BMO, Scout, and WellsCap, each a Subadviser and collectively, the Subadvisers). The Subadvisers provide day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund. The Investment Manager, subject to the oversight of the Fund’s Board of Trustees, decides the proportion of the Fund’s assets to be managed by each Subadviser, and may change these proportions at any time. Each Subadviser acts independently of any other Subadviser and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Each Subadviser employs an active investment strategy. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
BMO
BMO seeks to integrate fundamental and quantitative investing. BMO focuses on company fundamentals by using a quantitative process to identify companies that, in BMO’s opinion, exhibit good value based on a comparison of price to a fundamentals-based intrinsic value, the quality and sustainability of a company’s underlying fundamentals such as growth, profitability, earnings quality, capital usage efficiency and operating trends, and improving investor interest. BMO’s quantitative process uses a multi-factor risk/return investment model based on internal research and academic studies to select investments for its sleeve. The model ranks each stock in order of attractiveness. BMO periodically modifies the investment model based upon its fundamental analysis of the output of the model and the designated risk parameters. BMO selects securities generated by the model based on a goal of optimizing its sleeve by constructing a diversified portfolio intended to maximize expected risk-adjusted returns.
BMO’s integrated process is grounded in two core beliefs:
Companies that are undervalued relative to their fundamentals and exhibit improving investor interest outperform the market over the long run
A systematic approach to stock evaluation and portfolio construction maximizes risk-adjusted returns over full market cycles
BMO may sell a security when its expected return deteriorates; when BMO believes its exclusion improves the overall risk/return profile of the portfolio; or for other reasons.
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Scout
Scout invests primarily in equity securities (generally common stocks) of small-capitalization companies located in the United States. Scout normally invests in a diversified portfolio of equity securities that are selected based upon Scout’s perception of a stock’s above-average potential for long-term growth of capital.
Scout searches for companies that it believes are well positioned to benefit from the emergence of long-term catalysts for growth. The growth catalysts identified by Scout are long-term and secular (i.e., exhibiting relatively consistent expansion over a long period). Following the identification of well-positioned companies, Scout estimates the fair value of each candidate by assessing margin structure, growth rate, debt level and other measures which Scout believes influence relative stock valuations. Scout’s overall company analysis includes the assessment of the liquidity of each security, sustainability of profit margins, barriers to entry, company management and free cash flow. Scout may sell a security when it perceives stretched valuations and/or deteriorating fundamentals, including significant management changes or a misalignment with long-term trends, or for other reasons.
WellsCap
WellsCap invests principally in equity securities of small-capitalization companies in the emerging phases of their life cycle that the investment team believes have prospects for robust and sustainable growth of revenues, cash flows and earnings. WellsCap believes realized revenue, cash flows and earnings growth relative to market expectations are critical factors in determining stock price movements. Thus, the investment process is centered on identifying emerging growth companies with under-appreciated prospects for robust and sustainable growth in revenue, cash flow and earnings.
WellsCap uses bottom-up research to attempt to identify fast growing stocks within each industry in which it invests. Next, WellsCap attempts to measure the sustainability of that growth through its own assessment of future revenue, cash flow and earnings growth along with other key financial metrics. WellsCap then compares its expectation for growth with what the market is discounting for growth. When a positive gap between what WellsCap expects for growth and what the market expects for growth exists, WellsCap may establish or increase a position. Alternatively, WellsCap may trim or eliminate positions where that gap narrows or dissipates entirely. WellsCap also may trim or sell positions when it sees a deterioration in fundamentals that it believes could negatively impact the company’s prospective growth profile or the profitability potential of its business model. Lastly, WellsCap may also sell or trim a position to raise cash to fund client redemptions or to purchase a different security that the team believes offers a superior return on investment.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Small-Cap Stock Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Market Risk, and Multi-Adviser Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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More Information About VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the health care sector, industrials sector, and information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Health Care Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the health care sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete.
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Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Portfolio Management
The Investment Manager has, with the approval of the Board, engaged an investment subadviser(s) to make the day-to-day investment decisions for the Fund. The Investment Manager pays the subadviser(s) for investment advisory services and retains ultimate responsibility (subject to Board oversight) for overseeing any subadviser it engages and for evaluating the Fund’s needs and the subadvisers’ skills and abilities on an ongoing basis. Based on its evaluations, the Investment Manager may at times recommend to the Board that the Fund change, add or terminate one or more subadvisers; continue to retain a subadviser even though the subadviser’s ownership or corporate structure has changed; or materially change a subadvisory agreement with a subadviser. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreements with WellsCap and BMO are available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the adoption of the investment subadvisory agreement with Scout is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The date the Subadvisers began serving the Fund is set forth under Subadvisers below. Any performance of the Fund prior to the date the Subadvisers began serving was achieved by one or more different subadvisers. Similarly, the portfolio turnover rate for periods prior to the Subadvisers’ management of the Fund was the result of management by one or more different subadvisers. A change in subadvisers may result in increased portfolio turnover.
Subadvisers
BMO, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2017, is located at 115 South LaSalle Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60603. BMO, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. BMO was established in 1989 and provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to: (i) institutions, including pension and other employee benefit plans, trusts, endowments and foundations, investment companies (including mutual funds), private pooled vehicles, insurance companies and corporations; (ii) individuals; (iii) third-party sponsors of, and clients participating in, wrap-fee programs; and (iv) common and collective portfolios for which BMO Harris Bank, N.A., an affiliate of BMO, acts as trustee.
Scout, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2019, is located at 1201 Walnut Street, 21st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106. Scout, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. Scout is a registered investment adviser and was formed in 2001. Scout offers an array of investment strategies (including equity strategies and fixed income strategies), as well as customized strategies and socially responsible portfolios.
WellsCap, which has served as Subadviser to the Fund since May 2010, is located at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. WellsCap, subject to the supervision of Columbia Management, provides day-to-day management of a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, under a subadvisory agreement with Columbia Management. WellsCap was established in 1996 and provides advisory and subadvisory services to mutual funds, public and corporate retirement plans, and corporations.
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More Information About VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
Subadviser: BMO Asset Management Corp. (BMO)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Corris, CFA   Portfolio Manager of BMO   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Thomas Lettenberger, CFA   Portfolio Manager of BMO   Co-Portfolio Manager   2017
Mr. Corris joined BMO in 2008. Mr. Corris began his investment career in 1999 and earned a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.
Mr. Lettenberger joined BMO in 2005. Mr. Lettenberger began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.B.A. and a M.A. from the University of Michigan.
Subadviser: Scout Investments, Inc. (Scout)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
James McBride, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Scout   Lead Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Timothy Miller, CFA   Portfolio Manager of Scout   Co-Portfolio Manager   May 2019
Mr. McBride joined Scout in 2009. Mr. McBride began his investment career in 1991 and earned a B.S. from Wichita State University and an M.B.A. from Indiana University.
Mr. Miller joined Scout in 2012. Mr. Miller began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles and an M.B.A. from Indiana University.
Subadviser: Wells Capital Management Incorporated (WellsCap)
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Joseph Eberhardy, CFA, CPA   Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Thomas Ognar, CFA   Portfolio Manager of WellsCap   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Mr. Eberhardy joined WellsCap in 2005 as part of WellsCap’s acquisition of Strong Capital Management, which he joined in 1994. Mr. Eberhardy began his investment career in 1994 and earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Mr. Ognar joined WellsCap in 2005 as part of WellsCap’s acquisition of Strong Capital Management, which he joined in 1998. Mr. Ognar began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.S. from Miami University and an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About the Funds
References to “the Fund” throughout the remainder of the prospectus refer to the VP Funds singularly or collectively as the context requires.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the SAI. The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com. Portfolio holdings are not currently available on the website for all Funds.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in
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Variable Portfolio Funds
More Information About the Funds (continued)
the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
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More Information About the Funds (continued)
Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI. Portfolio holdings are not currently available on the website for all Funds.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
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Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
  Class 1 Class 2
Columbia VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund 0.49% 0.74%
CTIVP® - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund 0.89% 1.14%
CTIVP® - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 0.74% 0.99%
CTIVP® - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 0.73% 0.98%
CTIVP® - MFS® Value Fund 0.72% 0.97%
CTIVP® - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 0.74% 0.99%
CTIVP® - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 0.71% 0.96%
CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 0.54% 0.79%
CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 0.46% 0.71%
CTIVP® - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 0.85% 1.10%
VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund 0.88% 1.13%
VP - Partners International Growth Fund 0.92% 1.17%
VP - Partners International Value Fund 0.84% 1.09%
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  Class 1 Class 2
VP - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 0.87% 1.12%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Also, for the funds listed below, the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below), so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
  Class 1 Class 2
CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund 0.56% 0.81%
VP - Partners Core Bond Fund 0.56% 0.81%
Under the arrangement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest and infrequent and/or unusual expenses. This arrangement may be revised or discontinued at any time.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
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The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund. The Investment Manager is responsible for the investment management of the Fund, but has delegated certain of its duties, including day-to-day portfolio management of all or a portion of certain Fund’s assets to one or more investment subadvisers, as described in this prospectus, including determining the securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing these portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to the amount shown in the table below, as a percent of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
    
  Management fee
for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
Columbia VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund 0.48%
CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund 0.49%
CTIVP® - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund 0.75%
CTIVP® - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 0.66%
CTIVP® - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 0.68%
CTIVP® - MFS® Value Fund 0.69%
CTIVP® - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 0.65%
CTIVP® - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 0.68%
CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 0.48%
CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 0.42%
CTIVP® - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 0.81%
VP - Partners Core Bond Fund 0.47%
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More Information About the Funds (continued)
  Management fee
for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019
VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund 0.77%
VP - Partners International Growth Fund 0.90%
VP - Partners International Value Fund 0.85%
VP - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 0.86%
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
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More Information About the Funds (continued)
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
Prospectus 2020 243

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
Each of Columbia VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund, CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund, VP - Partners Core Bond Fund, VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund, VP - Partners International Growth Fund, and VP - Partners International Value Fund (the RIC Funds) intend to qualify and to be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. For the RIC Funds, while a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Mutual funds treated as regulated investment companies for tax purposes are required to make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund.
Each of CTIVP® - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® - MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, and VP - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the Partnership Funds) expect to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes. Each Partnership Fund is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Each RIC Fund may make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a RIC Fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a Fund — which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
Each RIC Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. Each RIC Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
    
RIC Fund Declarations Distributions
Columbia VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund Annually Annually
CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund Annually Annually
CTIVP® - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund Annually Annually
CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund Annually Annually
CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund Annually Annually
VP - Partners Core Bond Fund Annually Annually
VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund Quarterly Quarterly
VP - Partners International Growth Fund Quarterly Quarterly
VP - Partners International Value Fund Quarterly Quarterly
244 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
The RIC Funds may, however, declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently. Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the NAV per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution. Each RIC Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions to be paid in cash.
Taxes and Your Investment
Each Partnership Fund expects to be treated as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a Partnership Fund were not to qualify for such treatment, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would reduce the value of an investment in the Fund.
As a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” each Partnership Fund is generally not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of the Partnership Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Partnership Fund. In addition, unlike mutual funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Partnership Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in the Fund such requirements will be taken into account by a Partnership Fund.
Investments in a Partnership Fund may be indirectly subject to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest or capital gains. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries a Partnership Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Partnership Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company.
Each RIC Fund intends to qualify and be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in fund level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you.
Shares of the Funds are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income, which benefits may be greater with respect to a Partnership Fund than if the Partnership Fund were treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received by a Partnership Fund or from a RIC Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Review your Contract prospectus to determine the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among
Prospectus 2020 245

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or, for Partnership Funds, if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership.”
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
246 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 247

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.28 0.25 0.46 0.71 (0.23) (0.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.44 0.21 (0.19) 0.02 (0.18) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.47 0.17 0.02 0.19 (0.22) (0.22)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.34 0.20 0.31 0.51 (0.38) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.12 0.25 (0.47) (0.22) (0.56) (0.56)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.24 0.22 0.47 0.69 (0.21) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.40 0.19 (0.19) 0.00(c) (0.16) (0.16)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.43 0.15 0.02 0.17 (0.20) (0.20)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.30 0.17 0.32 0.49 (0.36) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.07 0.22 (0.45) (0.23) (0.54) (0.54)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
248 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — Columbia VP – Limited Duration
Credit Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.76 7.69% 0.50% 0.49% 2.58% 110% $684,486
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.28 0.24% 0.50% 0.50% 2.30% 62% $707,421
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.44 2.05% 0.53% 0.53% 1.79% 104% $773,190
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.47 5.53% 0.55% 0.55% 2.14% 102% $845,695
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.34 (2.31%) 0.54% 0.54% 2.46% 78% $887,028
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.72 7.47% 0.75% 0.74% 2.32% 110% $54,988
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.24 (0.02%) 0.75% 0.75% 2.06% 62% $46,253
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.40 1.80% 0.78% 0.78% 1.55% 104% $40,342
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.43 5.28% 0.81% 0.80% 1.85% 102% $35,554
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.30 (2.49%) 0.80% 0.79% 2.29% 78% $22,577
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 251

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.65 0.31 0.71 1.02 (0.66) (0.66)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.15 0.37 (0.49) (0.12) (0.31) (0.07) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.95 0.30 0.23 0.53 (0.26) (0.07) (0.33)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.76 0.27 0.13 0.40 (0.20) (0.01) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.05 0.23 (0.23) 0.00(d) (0.24) (0.05) (0.29)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.61 0.28 0.70 0.98 (0.63) (0.63)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.11 0.34 (0.49) (0.15) (0.28) (0.07) (0.35)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.91 0.27 0.23 0.50 (0.23) (0.07) (0.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.72 0.24 0.13 0.37 (0.17) (0.01) (0.18)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.01 0.20 (0.22) (0.02) (0.22) (0.05) (0.27)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Rounds to zero.
252 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.01 9.73% 0.50% (c) 0.50% (c) 2.84% 94% $2,900,664
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.65 (1.05%) 0.48% (c) 0.48% (c) 3.42% 136% $1,992,309
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.15 4.89% 0.52% 0.52% 2.74% 142% $3,933,591
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.95 3.66% 0.55% 0.55% 2.42% 170% $4,086,952
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.76 0.05% 0.55% 0.55% 2.07% 223% $4,256,477
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.96 9.40% 0.75% (c) 0.75% (c) 2.58% 94% $18,712
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.61 (1.31%) 0.73% (c) 0.73% (c) 3.17% 136% $13,100
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.11 4.65% 0.77% 0.77% 2.50% 142% $11,701
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.91 3.42% 0.80% 0.80% 2.18% 170% $10,346
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.72 (0.20%) 0.80% 0.80% 1.83% 223% $7,924
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 255

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $7.94 0.19 1.89 2.08 (0.17) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.64 0.17 (0.64) (0.47) (0.16) (0.07) (0.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.59 0.17 0.33 0.50 (0.19) (0.26) (0.45)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.83 0.19 0.28(c) 0.47 (0.17) (0.54) (0.71)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.26 0.17 (0.31) (0.14) (0.76) (1.53) (2.29)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $7.89 0.17 1.88 2.05 (0.15) (0.15)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $8.59 0.15 (0.64) (0.49) (0.14) (0.07) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.54 0.15 0.32 0.47 (0.16) (0.26) (0.42)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.78 0.16 0.29(c) 0.45 (0.15) (0.54) (0.69)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.20 0.15 (0.31) (0.16) (0.73) (1.53) (2.26)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Calculation of the net gain (loss) per share (both realized and unrealized) does not correlate to the aggregate realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of subscriptions and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to fluctuations in the market value of the portfolio.
256 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.85 26.41% 0.77% 0.77% 2.05% 70% $508,863
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $7.94 (5.58%) 0.77% 0.77% 2.03% 51% $402,354
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.64 6.01% 0.81% 0.81% 2.00% 72% $426,287
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.59 5.02% 0.89% 0.88% 2.16% 83% $402,023
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.83 (0.99%) 1.07% 1.01% 1.72% 27% $188,580
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.79 26.16% 1.02% 1.02% 1.81% 70% $30,302
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $7.89 (5.85%) 1.02% 1.02% 1.76% 51% $24,164
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $8.59 5.74% 1.06% 1.06% 1.76% 72% $27,353
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.54 4.76% 1.17% 1.15% 1.82% 83% $25,298
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.78 (1.21%) 1.32% 1.26% 1.53% 27% $22,032
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $28.50 0.17 8.88 9.05
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $29.20 0.17 (0.87) (0.70)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.95 0.10 7.15 7.25
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.75 0.15 1.05 1.20
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.76 0.12 1.87 1.99
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.90 0.08 8.69 8.77
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $28.66 0.10 (0.86) (0.76)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.60 0.03 7.03 7.06
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.46 0.09 1.05 1.14
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.55 0.07 1.84 1.91
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $37.55 31.76% 0.69% 0.69% 0.50% 7% $2,504,948
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $28.50 (2.40%) 0.70% 0.70% 0.57% 8% $1,929,781
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $29.20 33.03% 0.72% 0.72% 0.39% 5% $1,989,749
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.95 5.78% 0.73% 0.73% 0.72% 19% $2,398,329
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.75 10.61% 0.75% 0.75% 0.60% 14% $2,206,011
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $36.67 31.43% 0.94% 0.94% 0.25% 7% $55,206
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.90 (2.65%) 0.95% 0.95% 0.32% 8% $44,937
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $28.66 32.68% 0.97% 0.97% 0.10% 5% $45,101
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.60 5.57% 0.98% 0.98% 0.41% 19% $34,617
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.46 10.30% 1.00% 1.00% 0.38% 14% $6,399
  
Prospectus 2020 261

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 263

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $26.28 0.14 8.43 8.57
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.55 0.10 (0.37) (0.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.25 0.11 6.19 6.30
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.75 0.02 (0.52) (0.50)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.54 (0.00) (c) 1.21 1.21
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.71 0.06 8.24 8.30
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.04 0.03 (0.36) (0.33)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.91 0.04 6.09 6.13
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.44 (0.03) (0.50) (0.53)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.31 (0.05) 1.18 1.13
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
264 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $34.85 32.61% 0.69% 0.69% 0.46% 72% $2,014,780
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.28 (1.02%) 0.69% 0.69% 0.36% 95% $1,569,200
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.55 31.11% 0.73% 0.73% 0.44% 145% $1,593,067
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.25 (2.41%) 0.77% 0.77% 0.10% 91% $972,895
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.75 6.19% 0.76% 0.76% (0.01%) 64% $1,453,564
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $34.01 32.28% 0.94% 0.94% 0.21% 72% $14,686
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $25.71 (1.27%) 0.94% 0.94% 0.12% 95% $11,330
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.04 30.79% 0.98% 0.98% 0.17% 145% $9,829
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.91 (2.59%) 1.02% 1.02% (0.15%) 91% $7,076
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $20.44 5.85% 1.01% 1.01% (0.26%) 64% $6,258
  
Prospectus 2020 265

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 267

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $22.46 0.42 6.28 6.70
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.96 0.50 (3.00) (2.50)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.22 0.42 3.32 3.74
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.61 0.37 2.24 2.61
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.75 0.59(d) (0.73) (0.14)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.99 0.35 6.14 6.49
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $24.50 0.44 (2.95) (2.51)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.88 0.35 3.27 3.62
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.36 0.33 2.19 2.52
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.54 0.59(e) (0.77) (0.18)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.28 per share.
(e) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.33 per share.
268 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $29.16 29.83% 0.70% (c) 0.70% (c) 1.62% 12% $1,493,599
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.46 (10.02%) 0.69% (c) 0.69% (c) 2.00% 8% $1,588,214
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.96 17.62% 0.71% 0.71% 1.84% 13% $2,203,985
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.22 14.03% 0.74% 0.74% 1.89% 23% $1,995,300
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.61 (0.75%) 0.73% 0.73% 3.14% 16% $1,925,986
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $28.48 29.51% 0.95% (c) 0.95% (c) 1.36% 12% $63,976
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.99 (10.25%) 0.94% (c) 0.94% (c) 1.80% 8% $45,033
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $24.50 17.34% 0.96% 0.96% 1.57% 13% $49,410
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.88 13.73% 1.00% 1.00% 1.71% 23% $33,917
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.36 (0.97%) 0.99% 0.99% 3.15% 16% $19,747
  
Prospectus 2020 269

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 271

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.97 (0.02) 7.62 7.60
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.18 0.02 0.77 0.79
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.50 (0.01) 6.69 6.68
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.85 0.08 0.57 0.65
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.60 0.71(c) 0.54 1.25
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $27.37 (0.10) 7.45 7.35
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $26.67 (0.06) 0.76 0.70
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.17 (0.06) 6.56 6.50
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.57 0.03 0.57 0.60
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.39 0.59(d) 0.59 1.18
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.64 per share.
(d) Net investment income per share includes special dividends. The effect of these dividends amounted to $0.57 per share.
272 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $35.57 27.17% 0.66% 0.66% (0.05%) 80% $2,345,237
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.97 2.91% 0.67% 0.67% 0.07% 71% $1,893,796
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $27.18 32.58% 0.72% 0.72% (0.03%) 68% $1,804,566
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.50 3.27% 0.78% 0.78% 0.42% 130% $1,063,778
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.85 6.72% 0.76% 0.76% 3.63% 27% $1,209,405
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $34.72 26.85% 0.91% 0.91% (0.30%) 80% $19,150
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $27.37 2.62% 0.92% 0.92% (0.19%) 71% $13,254
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $26.67 32.23% 0.97% 0.97% (0.28%) 68% $9,269
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.17 3.07% 1.03% 1.03% 0.16% 130% $6,769
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $19.57 6.42% 1.01% 1.01% 3.08% 27% $7,758
  
Prospectus 2020 273

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 275

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.69 0.52 4.98 5.50
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.81 0.44 (2.56) (2.12)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.62 0.37 2.82 3.19
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.16 0.41 2.05 2.46
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.69 0.42 (1.95) (1.53)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.25 0.45 4.86 5.31
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.38 0.38 (2.51) (2.13)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.30 0.31 2.77 3.08
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.92 0.36 2.02 2.38
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.48 0.37 (1.93) (1.56)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
276 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $26.19 26.58% 0.69% 0.69% 2.17% 28% $1,987,789
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.69 (9.30%) 0.67% 0.67% 1.91% 20% $1,939,941
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.81 16.26% 0.70% 0.70% 1.75% 32% $2,481,560
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.62 14.34% 0.75% 0.75% 2.30% 108% $2,168,289
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.16 (8.19%) 0.75% 0.75% 2.32% 59% $1,894,441
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.56 26.22% 0.94% 0.94% 1.94% 28% $27,449
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.25 (9.52%) 0.92% 0.92% 1.70% 20% $20,084
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.38 15.96% 0.94% 0.94% 1.52% 32% $17,050
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.30 14.07% 1.00% 1.00% 2.05% 108% $10,555
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $16.92 (8.44%) 1.00% 1.00% 2.06% 59% $8,459
  
Prospectus 2020 277

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 279

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.38 0.29 0.64 0.93 (0.30) (0.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.62 0.27 (0.27) 0.00 (0.22) (0.02) (0.24)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.48 0.21 0.14 0.35 (0.17) (0.04) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.40 0.17 0.08 0.25 (0.13) (0.04) (0.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.47 0.14 (0.12) 0.02 (0.09) (0.00) (c) (0.09)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.35 0.25 0.63 0.88 (0.27) (0.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.58 0.25 (0.26) (0.01) (0.20) (0.02) (0.22)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.44 0.18 0.15 0.33 (0.15) (0.04) (0.19)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.36 0.15 0.08 0.23 (0.11) (0.04) (0.15)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.43 0.12 (0.13) (0.01) (0.06) (0.00) (c) (0.06)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
280 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.01 9.01% 0.49% 0.49% 2.65% 209% $2,808,764
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.38 0.06% 0.49% 0.49% 2.61% 178% $2,714,909
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.62 3.40% 0.52% 0.52% 1.97% 281% $2,979,922
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.48 2.41% 0.56% 0.55% 1.61% 276% $3,079,179
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.40 0.19% 0.58% 0.56% 1.35% 351% $3,154,641
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.96 8.58% 0.74% 0.74% 2.37% 209% $12,125
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.35 (0.10%) 0.74% 0.74% 2.38% 178% $7,961
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.58 3.15% 0.77% 0.77% 1.73% 281% $7,071
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.44 2.17% 0.81% 0.80% 1.38% 276% $6,052
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.36 (0.06%) 0.83% 0.81% 1.10% 351% $4,137
  
Prospectus 2020 281

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 283

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.03 0.24 0.12 0.36 (0.11) (0.11)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.06 0.20 (0.10) 0.10 (0.13) (0.13)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.08 0.12 (0.04) 0.08 (0.10) (0.00) (c) (0.10)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.11 0.09 0.02 0.11 (0.10) (0.04) (0.14)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.18 0.07 (0.04) 0.03 (0.10) (0.10)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.99 0.21 0.12 0.33 (0.08) (0.08)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.01 0.17 (0.09) 0.08 (0.10) (0.10)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.04 0.09 (0.05) 0.04 (0.07) (0.00) (c) (0.07)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.07 0.06 0.02 0.08 (0.07) (0.04) (0.11)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.14 0.04 (0.03) 0.01 (0.08) (0.08)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Rounds to zero.
284 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.28 3.57% 0.43% 0.43% 2.31% 632% $1,504,778
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.03 0.96% 0.44% 0.44% 1.97% 414% $1,944,337
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.06 0.80% 0.47% 0.47% 1.15% 290% $956,370
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.08 1.03% 0.56% 0.55% 0.86% 343% $1,056,643
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.11 0.32% 0.60% 0.60% 0.64% 375% $1,197,705
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.24 3.33% 0.68% 0.68% 2.04% 632% $29,635
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.99 0.81% 0.69% 0.69% 1.68% 414% $25,361
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.01 0.45% 0.72% 0.72% 0.91% 290% $22,203
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.04 0.78% 0.80% 0.80% 0.63% 343% $22,083
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.07 0.07% 0.86% 0.85% 0.40% 375% $13,574
  
Prospectus 2020 285

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 287

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $22.64 0.07 9.47 9.54
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $23.43 0.01 (0.80) (0.79)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.06 0.01 4.36 4.37
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.38 (0.02) 0.70 0.68
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.90 (0.04) (0.48) (c) (0.52)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $22.13 0.01 9.24 9.25
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.96 (0.05) (0.78) (0.83)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $18.72 (0.04) 4.28 4.24
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.10 (0.07) 0.69 0.62
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.66 (0.08) (0.48) (c) (0.56)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Calculation of the net gain (loss) per share (both realized and unrealized) does not correlate to the aggregate realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of subscriptions and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to fluctuations in the market value of the portfolio.
288 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $32.18 42.14% 0.83% 0.83% 0.25% 70% $555,819
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.64 (3.37%) 0.84% 0.84% 0.05% 72% $491,881
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $23.43 22.93% 0.87% 0.87% 0.04% 121% $515,408
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $19.06 3.70% 0.90% 0.88% (0.11%) 36% $411,066
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.38 (2.75%) 0.89% 0.88% (0.20%) 34% $217,012
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $31.38 41.80% 1.08% 1.08% 0.02% 70% $26,048
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $22.13 (3.61%) 1.09% 1.09% (0.20%) 72% $18,181
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $22.96 22.65% 1.12% 1.12% (0.21%) 121% $19,303
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.72 3.43% 1.15% 1.13% (0.38%) 36% $13,635
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.10 (3.00%) 1.15% 1.13% (0.42%) 34% $12,750
  
Prospectus 2020 289

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Bond Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 291

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.52 0.29 0.61 0.90 (0.27) (0.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.94 0.29 (0.31) (0.02) (0.27) (0.13) (0.40)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.82 0.26 0.12 0.38 (0.25) (0.01) (0.26)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.80 0.25 0.02 0.27 (0.23) (0.02) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.94 0.24 (0.14) 0.10 (0.21) (0.03) (0.24)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.47 0.26 0.61 0.87 (0.24) (0.24)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.89 0.26 (0.30) (0.04) (0.25) (0.13) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.77 0.23 0.13 0.36 (0.23) (0.01) (0.24)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.75 0.22 0.03 0.25 (0.21) (0.02) (0.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.90 0.21 (0.15) 0.06 (0.18) (0.03) (0.21)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
292 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Core Bond Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.15 8.61% 0.48% 0.48% 2.69% 321% $3,759,623
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.52 (0.09%) 0.49% 0.49% 2.75% 309% $3,535,290
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.94 3.58% 0.52% 0.52% 2.39% 240% $3,284,310
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.82 2.48% 0.56% 0.56% 2.27% 17% $3,343,966
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.80 0.88% 0.57% 0.56% 2.18% 20% $3,363,421
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.10 8.39% 0.73% 0.73% 2.43% 321% $11,721
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.47 (0.35%) 0.74% 0.74% 2.50% 309% $9,303
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.89 3.34% 0.77% 0.77% 2.15% 240% $10,669
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.77 2.23% 0.82% 0.81% 2.03% 17% $10,146
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.75 0.54% 0.82% 0.81% 1.94% 20% $6,999
  
Prospectus 2020 293

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 295

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.70 0.29 1.50 1.79 (0.30) (0.16) (0.46)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.92 0.25 (2.18) (1.93) (0.26) (0.03) (0.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.91 0.20 2.02 2.22 (0.21) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.48 0.20 (0.54) (0.34) (0.23) (0.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.99 0.15 (0.16) (0.01) (0.16) (0.34) (0.50)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.64 0.25 1.50 1.75 (0.27) (0.16) (0.43)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.84 0.22 (2.16) (1.94) (0.23) (0.03) (0.26)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.86 0.17 2.00 2.17 (0.19) (0.19)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.43 0.18 (0.54) (0.36) (0.21) (0.21)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.94 0.13 (0.16) (0.03) (0.14) (0.34) (0.48)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
296 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.03 18.76% 0.79% 0.79% 2.74% 94% $2,893,855
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.70 (16.53%) 0.83% 0.83% 2.23% 105% $2,766,782
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.92 22.56% 0.92% 0.92% 1.79% 68% $2,606,365
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.91 (3.24%) 0.97% 0.96% 2.04% 50% $2,317,135
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.48 (0.41%) 0.97% 0.97% 1.37% 52% $2,317,553
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.96 18.41% 1.04% 1.04% 2.45% 94% $8,279
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.64 (16.69%) 1.08% 1.08% 1.99% 105% $6,925
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.84 22.14% 1.17% 1.17% 1.50% 68% $8,554
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.86 (3.44%) 1.22% 1.21% 1.85% 50% $6,722
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.43 (0.60%) 1.22% 1.22% 1.13% 52% $7,749
  
Prospectus 2020 297

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 299

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.46 0.10 2.38 2.48 (0.12) (0.36) (0.48)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.29 0.11 (2.35) (2.24) (0.12) (0.47) (0.59)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.70 0.11 2.65 2.76 (0.09) (1.08) (1.17)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $11.36 0.15 (0.54) (0.39) (0.15) (0.12) (0.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.46 0.17 (0.41) (0.24) (0.17) (0.69) (0.86)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.42 0.07 2.37 2.44 (0.10) (0.36) (0.46)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.24 0.07 (2.32) (2.25) (0.10) (0.47) (0.57)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.66 0.08 2.64 2.72 (0.06) (1.08) (1.14)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $11.32 0.12 (0.53) (0.41) (0.13) (0.12) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.42 0.13 (0.40) (0.27) (0.14) (0.69) (0.83)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
300 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.46 26.70% 0.93% 0.92% 0.92% 113% $1,057,916
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.46 (18.95%) 0.91% 0.91% 0.92% 19% $793,614
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.29 26.87% 0.95% 0.95% 0.93% 22% $1,682,196
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.70 (3.47%) 0.96% 0.96% 1.37% 94% $2,270,612
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.36 (2.27%) 0.97% 0.97% 1.38% 19% $2,299,811
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.40 26.36% 1.18% 1.17% 0.67% 113% $35,306
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.42 (19.10%) 1.17% 1.17% 0.64% 19% $29,694
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.24 26.56% 1.20% 1.20% 0.67% 22% $33,356
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.66 (3.66%) 1.21% 1.21% 1.11% 94% $21,570
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.32 (2.54%) 1.22% 1.22% 1.09% 19% $20,973
  
Prospectus 2020 301

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Value Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 303

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.17 0.30 0.91 1.21 (0.38) (0.29) (0.67)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.47 0.29 (2.23) (1.94) (0.31) (0.05) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.34 0.26 2.09 2.35 (0.22) (0.22)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.91 0.25 0.46 0.71 (0.24) (0.04) (0.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.03 0.22 (0.92) (0.70) (0.21) (0.21) (0.42)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.15 0.28 0.90 1.18 (0.35) (0.29) (0.64)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.44 0.26 (2.22) (1.96) (0.28) (0.05) (0.33)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.33 0.23 2.08 2.31 (0.20) (0.20)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.90 0.22 0.47 0.69 (0.22) (0.04) (0.26)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.01 0.20 (0.92) (0.72) (0.18) (0.21) (0.39)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
304 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners International Value Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.71 13.53% 0.88% (c) 0.88% (c) 3.17% 22% $1,028,139
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.17 (17.30%) 0.83% 0.83% 2.70% 16% $821,718
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.47 25.44% 0.86% 0.86% 2.48% 9% $1,759,557
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.34 8.33% 0.91% (d) 0.91% (d) 2.89% 17% $2,000,961
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.91 (7.40%) 0.98% 0.98% 2.25% 12% $1,987,543
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.69 13.20% 1.13% (c) 1.13% (c) 2.93% 22% $23,667
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.15 (17.48%) 1.09% 1.09% 2.41% 16% $19,537
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.44 25.02% 1.11% 1.11% 2.18% 9% $20,666
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.33 8.08% 1.16% (d) 1.16% (d) 2.52% 17% $12,345
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.90 (7.56%) 1.23% 1.23% 2.06% 12% $10,494
  
Prospectus 2020 305

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 307

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.93 (0.09) 4.54 4.45
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.95 (0.11) (0.91) (1.02)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $18.48 (0.08) 3.55 3.47
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.33 (0.04) 1.19 1.15
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.25 (0.04) (0.88) (0.92)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.48 (0.14) 4.43 4.29
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.53 (0.17) (0.88) (1.05)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $18.17 (0.13) 3.49 3.36
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $17.08 (0.08) 1.17 1.09
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $18.04 (0.08) (0.88) (0.96)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
308 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $25.38 21.26% 0.88% 0.87% (0.38%) 90% $574,507
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.93 (4.65%) 0.87% 0.86% (0.46%) 113% $579,389
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.95 18.78% 0.91% 0.91% (0.42%) 114% $644,746
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.48 6.64% 0.98% 0.94% (0.25%) 90% $611,339
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.33 (5.04%) 1.02% 0.96% (0.20%) 63% $609,772
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $24.77 20.95% 1.13% 1.12% (0.62%) 90% $11,277
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $20.48 (4.88%) 1.12% 1.11% (0.70%) 113% $8,375
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.53 18.49% 1.16% 1.16% (0.67%) 114% $7,101
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $18.17 6.38% 1.23% 1.19% (0.50%) 90% $5,031
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $17.08 (5.32%) 1.27% 1.21% (0.46%) 63% $4,734
  
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Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
70100 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
70100
Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about each Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which each Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6546-99 AT (05/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio

  
Each above named Fund offers Class 1, Class 2 and Class 4 shares to separate accounts consisting of subaccounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated life insurance companies authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Table of Contents
SUMMARIES OF THE FUNDS
Investment Objective, Fees and Expenses of the Fund, Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Performance Information, Fund Management, Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Tax Information, Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 

3

13

23

33

43

53

53

53

55

64

69

71

72

73

73

74

75

76

81

81

81

83

A-1

B-1
2 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (Conservative Portfolio or the Fund) seeks to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with a conservative level of risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 4
Management fees 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.56% 0.56% 0.56%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.69% 0.94% 0.94%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $221 $384 $859
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Class 4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 18% of the average value of its portfolio.
Prospectus 2020 3

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s). The Fund may also seek to achieve its desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Conservative Portfolio 10–25%* 60-80%* 0-10%* 0–10%*
         
* As a percent of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause a Fund to be temporarily outside the ranges identified in the table. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) may modify the target allocation ranges only with the approval of a Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Fund, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Fund including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
4 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
Prospectus 2020 5

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
6 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 4.89%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -3.13%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 11.05% 3.64% 4.35%
Class 2 05/07/2010 10.75% 3.58% 4.32%
Class 4 05/07/2010 10.75% 3.58% 4.32%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 80% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 14% Russell 3000 Index and 6% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   12.57% 4.46% 5.29%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.83%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract or life insurance policy with RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies) and allocating your purchase payments to the Account that invests in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus, as applicable, for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (Moderately Conservative Portfolio or the Fund) seeks to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderately conservative level of risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 4
Management fees 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.59% 0.59% 0.59%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.71% 0.96% 0.96%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $73 $227 $395 $883
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $98 $306 $531 $1,178
Class 4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $98 $306 $531 $1,178
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 12% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s). The Fund may also seek to achieve its desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Moderately Conservative Portfolio 25-40%* 50-65%* 0-10%* 0–10%*
         
* As a percent of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause a Fund to be temporarily outside the ranges identified in the table. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) may modify the target allocation ranges only with the approval of a Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Fund, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Fund including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 6.42%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -5.82%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 13.79% 4.48% 5.45%
Class 2 05/07/2010 13.51% 4.43% 5.42%
Class 4 05/07/2010 13.49% 4.42% 5.44%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 24% Russell 3000 Index and 11% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   15.44% 5.46% 6.54%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.83%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract or life insurance policy with RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies) and allocating your purchase payments to the Account that invests in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus, as applicable, for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (Moderate Portfolio or the Fund) seeks to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderate level of risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 4
Management fees 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.64% 0.64% 0.64%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.74% 0.99% 0.99%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $237 $411 $918
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $101 $315 $547 $1,213
Class 4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $101 $315 $547 $1,213
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 9% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s). The Fund may also seek to achieve its desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Moderate Portfolio 40-55%* 40-55%* 0-5%* 0–10%*
         
* As a percent of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause a Fund to be temporarily outside the ranges identified in the table. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) may modify the target allocation ranges only with the approval of a Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Fund, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Fund including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.91%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -8.81%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 16.40% 5.30% 6.62%
Class 2 05/07/2010 16.13% 5.26% 6.59%
Class 4 05/07/2010 16.18% 5.26% 6.61%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   18.41% 6.49% 7.83%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.83%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract or life insurance policy with RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies) and allocating your purchase payments to the Account that invests in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus, as applicable, for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (Moderately Aggressive Portfolio or the Fund) seeks to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderately aggressive level of risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 4
Management fees 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.66% 0.66% 0.66%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.78% 1.03% 1.03%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $80 $249 $433 $966
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $105 $328 $569 $1,259
Class 4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $105 $328 $569 $1,259
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 10% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s). The Fund may also seek to achieve its desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 55-70%* 25-40%* 0-5%* 0–10%*
         
* As a percent of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause a Fund to be temporarily outside the ranges identified in the table. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) may modify the target allocation ranges only with the approval of a Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Fund, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Fund including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 9.33%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -11.78%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 18.96% 6.06% 7.61%
Class 2 05/07/2010 18.71% 6.02% 7.59%
Class 4 05/07/2010 18.75% 6.01% 7.61%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 46% Russell 3000 Index, 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 19% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   21.40% 7.49% 9.09%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.83%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract or life insurance policy with RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies) and allocating your purchase payments to the Account that invests in the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus, as applicable, for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (Aggressive Portfolio or the Fund) seeks to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with an aggressive level of risk.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2 Class 4
Management fees 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.70% 0.70% 0.70%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.81% 1.06% 1.06%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $83 $259 $450 $1,002
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $108 $337 $585 $1,294
Class 4 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $108 $337 $585 $1,294
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s). The Fund may also seek to achieve its desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Fund may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Aggressive Portfolio 70-85%* 10-25%* 0-5%* 0–10%*
         
* As a percent of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause a Fund to be temporarily outside the ranges identified in the table. Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) may modify the target allocation ranges only with the approval of a Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Fund, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Fund including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
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Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities
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Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in
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Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 10.88%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2011 -14.50%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 21.84% 6.84% 8.66%
Class 2 05/07/2010 21.59% 6.80% 8.63%
Class 4 05/07/2010 21.68% 6.81% 8.66%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 56% Russell 3000 Index, 24% MSCI EAFE Index (Net) and 20% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   24.32% 8.40% 10.25%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.83%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 5.67% 6.98%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 3.53%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract or life insurance policy with RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies) and allocating your purchase payments to the Account that invests in the Fund.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio (continued)
Please refer to your Contract prospectus, as applicable, for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
More Information About the Funds
Investment Objectives
The objective of each Fund is to provide a high level of total return that is consistent with an acceptable level of risk. The following paragraphs highlight the objectives and compare each Fund’s levels of risk and potential for return relative to one another.
Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio (Conservative Portfolio) is designed for investors seeking a high level of total return that is consistent with a conservative level of risk. The Fund may be most appropriate for investors with a shorter-term investment horizon. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio (Moderately Conservative Portfolio) is designed for investors seeking a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderately conservative level of risk. The Fund may be most appropriate for investors with a short-to-intermediate term investment horizon. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio (Moderate Portfolio) is designed for investors seeking a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderate level of risk. The Fund may be most appropriate for investors with an intermediate term investment horizon. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio (Moderately Aggressive Portfolio) is designed for investors seeking a high level of total return that is consistent with a moderately aggressive level of risk. The Fund may be most appropriate for investors with an intermediate-to-long term investment horizon. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.
Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio (Aggressive Portfolio) is designed for investors seeking a high level of total return that is consistent with an aggressive level of risk. The Fund may be most appropriate for investors with a longer-term investment horizon. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Conservative Portfolio, Moderately Conservative Portfolio, Moderate Portfolio, Moderately Aggressive Portfolio and Aggressive Portfolio are singularly and collectively, where the context requires, referred to as either “the Fund,” “each Fund” or “the Funds.”
The funds in which the Funds invest are referred to as the “underlying funds” or “acquired funds.” Investments by the Funds referred to above are made through investments in underlying funds or derivative instruments.
Please remember that you may not buy (nor will you own) shares of a Fund directly. You invest by buying a variable annuity contract or life insurance policy (Contracts) and allocating your purchase payments or premiums to the variable subaccount or variable account that invests in the Fund.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Funds are intended for investors who have an objective of achieving a high level of total return consistent with a certain level of risk, but prefer to have investment decisions managed by professional money managers. Each Fund is a “fund of funds” that, under normal circumstances, seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds for which Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) or an affiliate acts as investment manager or principal underwriter. Columbia Management is the investment manager for each of the Funds. By investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Funds seek to minimize the risks associated with investing in a single fund. However, each Fund may invest significantly in any individual underlying fund(s).
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The Funds seek, under normal circumstances, to achieve their objectives by investing primarily in a combination of underlying funds representing three primary asset classes: equity, fixed income, and cash/cash equivalents, as well as underlying funds that pursue alternative investment strategies (alternative strategies) that seek investment returns uncorrelated to the broad equity and fixed income markets, or other strategies. The Funds may also seek to achieve their desired asset class and investment strategy exposures by investing in additional underlying funds such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity and debt futures, index futures and interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and total return swaps). The Funds may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The Funds may invest in companies deemed to be “growth” companies and “value” companies. The Funds may invest in debt instruments of any credit quality, those instruments rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Funds may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction. Under normal circumstances, the Funds intend to have investment exposure to equity, fixed income, and cash/cash equivalent asset classes and alternative strategies (each an asset class exposure category) within the following target asset allocation ranges (includes investments in underlying funds, ETFs, and other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives):
    
Asset Class Exposures
(Target Allocation Range – Under Normal Circumstances)*
  Equity Fixed
Income
Cash/Cash
Equivalents
Alternative
Strategies
Conservative Portfolio 10-25%* 60-80%* 0-10%* 0-10%*
Moderately Conservative Portfolio 25-40%* 50-65%* 0-10%* 0-10%*
Moderate Portfolio 40-55%* 40-55%* 0-5%* 0-10%*
Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 55-70%* 25-40%* 0-5%* 0-10%*
Aggressive Portfolio 70-85%* 10-25%* 0-5%* 0-10%*
         
* As a percentage of Fund net assets. Ranges include the net notional amounts of a Fund’s direct investments in derivative instruments. Market appreciation or depreciation may cause the Fund to be temporarily outside the range identified in the table. The Investment Manager may modify the target allocation ranges only upon approval of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board).
In managing the Funds, the Investment Manager considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant, on a broad range of aspects related to the management of the Funds including, but not limited to, the performance of the underlying funds, the types of investment categories represented by the underlying funds, and the consideration of additional underlying funds. The Investment Manager retains full discretion over the Funds’ investment activities.
The Investment Manager monitors underlying fund selections, allocations and investment performance, and will take actions it deems appropriate to position the Funds to achieve their investment objectives, including investing in any underlying fund and ETFs, adding new underlying funds, altering target allocations as necessary, and investing in other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives. The Investment Manager implements the Funds’ asset allocation process by directing net cash inflows (outflows) to purchase (redeem) shares of the underlying funds and ETFs, which are underweight (overweight) the then-current target allocation, purchasing or redeeming shares of the underlying funds and ETFs, to maintain or change the percentage of a Fund’s assets invested in the underlying funds, or by purchasing or selling other securities, instruments and assets, including derivatives, to seek targeted asset class exposures.
The Funds may invest in derivatives to produce incremental earnings, to hedge existing positions, to increase market exposure and investment flexibility, or to obtain or reduce particular exposures.
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Underlying Funds
Each Fund has exposure to risks of many areas of the market through its investments in the underlying funds and derivatives. Below are the underlying funds available to the Funds for investment within each asset class category. Certain underlying funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager for those purposes. A description of the underlying funds’ investment objectives and strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and statements of additional information for the underlying funds include more detailed information about these underlying funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
    
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio-Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio-Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio-Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio-Government Money Market Fund and Columbia Short Term Cash Fund.
Alternative Strategy Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk and Market Risk , among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or
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replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may
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employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A bond (or debt instrument) future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a bond or other debt instrument, a basket of bonds or other debt instrument, or the bonds or other debt instruments in an index on a specified date at a predetermined price. The buyer (long position) of a bond future is obliged to buy the underlying reference at the agreed price on expiry of the future.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
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An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
Total return swaps are derivative swap transactions in which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return of a defined underlying reference during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return of a different underlying reference.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations
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and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in
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another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities
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or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
References to “the Fund” throughout the remainder of the prospectus refer to each Fund singularly or collectively as the context requires.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the
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risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds” (such as the Fund(s) offered in this prospectus), and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
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Affiliated Products
Shares of the Fund are currently available solely to holders of variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) issued by RiverSource Life Insurance Company and RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, RiverSource Life), including where the Contract holder has elected certain optional benefit riders that require investment in approved investment options, including the Fund (the Rider). RiverSource Life is an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, which is the parent company of Columbia Management, the Fund’s investment manager. RiverSource Life has financial obligations to holders of the Riders arising from guarantee obligations under such Riders, which vary based upon the investment performance of the Fund. RiverSource Life expects to benefit financially by offering this Fund, compared to offering other types of funds, in Contracts with Riders. For example, RiverSource Life expects to reduce its costs to purchase hedge investments associated with Contract liabilities tied to this Fund. It also expects to benefit from the greater liquidity of hedge investments used to meet its obligations under the Riders. In addition, it expects to reduce its capital requirements, which represent assets RiverSource Life sets aside to back the guarantees offered in its Contracts. As described above, RiverSource Life has a financial interest in reducing its potential exposure with respect to Contract values invested under the Riders. This may present a potential conflict of interest with respect to the interests of the holders of the Riders (who are required to allocate their Contract value to approved investment options, including the Fund). In particular, RiverSource Life’s interest in reducing volatility within the Fund’s portfolio may present a potential conflict between it and Columbia Management as the latter seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective of “total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.” The Fund may also be owned by Contract holders who have not elected the Rider.
Columbia Management has a framework in place to ensure its management of the Fund is effected in the best interests of the Fund, without undue influence from RiverSource Life. Investing in the Fund does not guarantee that your Contract will increase in value nor will it protect in a decline in value if market prices fall. In addition, there is no guarantee that the Fund’s strategy will have its intended effect, or that it will work as effectively as is intended.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned,
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derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
In addition to the total annual Fund operating expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear the expenses of the underlying funds (or acquired funds) in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” shown are based on its allocations to the underlying funds as of the Fund’s
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fiscal year end. Because acquired funds will have varied expense and fee levels and the Fund may own different proportions of acquired funds at different times, the amount of fees and expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to such investments will vary.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio
Class 1 0.22%
Class 2 0.47%
Class 4 0.47%
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Class 1 0.18%
Class 2 0.43%
Class 4 0.43%
    
Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio
Class 1 0.18%
Class 2 0.43%
Class 4 0.43%
    
Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio
Class 1 0.19%
Class 2 0.44%
Class 4 0.44%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
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Also, for Variable Portfolio - Moderately Conservative Portfolio the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below), so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Class 1 0.22%
Class 2 0.47%
Class 4 0.47%
Under the arrangement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest and infrequent and/or unusual expenses. This arrangement may be revised or discontinued at any time.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing
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the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.05% for each of Variable Portfolio - Conservative Portfolio, Variable Portfolio - Moderately Conservative Portfolio and Variable Portfolio - Moderately Aggressive Portfolio, and 0.04% for Variable Portfolio - Moderate Portfolio and Variable Portfolio - Aggressive Portfolio, respectively, of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Lead Portfolio Manager   2015
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Dr. Bahuguna joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2002. Dr. Bahuguna began her investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and a Ph.D. in economics from Northeastern University.
Mr. Virginia joined the Investment Manager in 2010. Mr. Virginia began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.S. from Kansas State University.
Mr. Weiss joined the Investment Manager in August 2015 as Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Weiss was at Lincoln Financial Group where he was a Portfolio Manager and CIO of Lincoln Investment Advisors Corp. Mr. Weiss began his investment career in 1999 and earned a B.S. in management from Plymouth State College and an M.B.A. from Boston University Graduate School of Management.
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Mr. Kutin joined the Investment Manager in 2015 as a senior portfolio manager for the Global Investment Solutions Group. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Kutin was a portfolio manager on the global asset allocation team at Putnam Investments. Mr. Kutin began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. in economics and a B.S. in mathematics with computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in finance from Princeton University.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
Under the Distribution Agreement and related distribution and shareholder servicing plans, the Distributor receives distribution and shareholder servicing fees on Class 2 and Class 4 shares. The Distributor uses these fees to support its distribution and servicing activity for Class 2 and Class 4 shares. Fees paid by the Fund for these services are set forth under Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees in the expense table under Fees and Expenses of the Fund for each Fund in the Summary of the Fund section of this prospectus. More information on how these fees are used is set forth under “Buying, Selling and Transferring Shares – Description of Share Classes” and in the SAI.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
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the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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About Fund Shares and Transactions
References to the “Fund” throughout this section refer to each Fund, singularly or collectively, and Underlying Funds, as the context requires.
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1, Class 2 and Class 4 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares Class 4 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and in variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. Class 2 shares are offered to Accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies issued by affiliated life insurance companies. Class 4 shares are offered to participants in the Portfolio Navigator Program, and to owners of other series of annuity contracts or life insurance policies issued by RiverSource Life Insurance Company or RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York, as described in the prospectus for that annuity contract or life insurance policy.
Investment Limits none none none
Conversion Features none none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25% 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 and Class 4 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25% and the distribution fee for Class 4 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
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Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
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Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. Any affiliated underlying funds calculate their NAV in the same manner as the Fund calculates its NAV.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value
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of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
Shareholder Information
Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners. When you sell your shares through your Contract, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and
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regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies and may also be available to other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Additional Discussion of Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Funds Used Exclusively by Affiliated Insurance Companies
The Fund is sold exclusively as underlying investment options of the Contracts offered by RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies). The Investment Manager and its affiliates make or support payments out of their own resources to the Companies as a result of the Companies including the Fund as an investment option in the Contracts. These allocations may be significant. In addition, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of the Companies, may be separately incented to include the Fund in the Contracts, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. These Contracts may also include unaffiliated mutual funds as investment options, and the Companies receive payments from the sponsors of these unaffiliated mutual funds as a result of including these funds in the products. The amount of payment from sponsors of unaffiliated funds or allocation from the Investment Manager and its affiliates varies, and may be significant. The amount of the payment or allocation the Companies receive from a Fund may create an incentive for the Companies and may influence their decision regarding which funds to include in a Contract. Employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers, may be separately incented to recommend or sell shares of the Fund, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, may receive higher compensation and other benefits as investments in the Fund increase. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including Columbia Management, and the Distributor, and the products they offer, including the Fund. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing payments,” and are in addition to any Rule 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees or other amounts paid by the Fund for account maintenance, sub-accounting or recordkeeping services
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provided directly by the Companies. See About Fund Shares and Transactions – Financial Intermediary Compensation for more information generally about financial intermediary compensation and the Contract prospectus for more information regarding these payments and allocations relating to your Contract.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract. Any charges that apply to your Contract, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies that may own shares directly, are described in your Contract prospectus.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders. The risks of excessive trading described above also apply to any Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Distributions and Taxes
References to the “Fund” throughout this section refer to each Fund, singularly or collectively, and Underlying Funds, as the context requires.
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
In the case of the Fund, because the Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, it is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund were not to qualify for such treatment, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would reduce the value of an investment in the Fund.
As a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” the Fund is generally not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of the Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Fund. In addition, unlike mutual funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in the Fund such requirements will be taken into account by the Fund.
Investments in the Fund may be indirectly subject to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest or capital gains. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries the Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income, which benefits may be greater with respect to the Fund than if the Fund were treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received by the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership.”
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights
Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio, continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $13.95 0.13 0.90 1.03
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.49 0.27 1.18 1.45
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.90 0.22 (0.63) (0.41)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.94 0.22 0.74 0.96
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.51 0.17 0.26 0.43
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.53 0.17 (0.19) (0.02)
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.49 0.28 1.17 1.45
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.89 0.22 (0.62) (0.40)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.94 0.21 0.74 0.95
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.51 0.17 0.26 0.43
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.53 0.17 (0.19) (0.02)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Conservative Portfolio, continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $14.98 7.38% 0.13% (d) 0.13% (d) 1.10% (d) 18% $173
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.94 10.75% 0.38% 0.38% 1.90% 18% $520,608
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.49 (2.95%) 0.37% 0.37% 1.61% 18% $450,440
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.90 7.42% 0.33% 0.33% 1.60% 6% $541,013
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.94 3.44% 0.30% 0.30% 1.34% 14% $593,909
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.51 (0.16%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.35% 27% $557,777
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.94 10.75% 0.38% 0.38% 1.94% 18% $562,599
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.49 (2.88%) 0.37% 0.37% 1.60% 18% $570,600
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.89 7.34% 0.33% 0.33% 1.59% 6% $725,015
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.94 3.44% 0.30% 0.30% 1.35% 14% $873,507
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.51 (0.16%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.35% 27% $890,458
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (continued)
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio, continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $15.35 0.26 1.05 1.31
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.65 0.24 1.74 1.98
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.28 0.20 (0.83) (0.63)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.89 0.19 1.20 1.39
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.36 0.16 0.37 0.53
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.39 0.17 (0.20) (0.03)
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.68 0.25 1.73 1.98
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.30 0.20 (0.82) (0.62)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.92 0.19 1.19 1.38
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.38 0.16 0.38 0.54
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.42 0.17 (0.21) (0.04)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderately Conservative Portfolio, continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $16.66 8.53% 0.12% (d) 0.11% (d) 1.91% (d) 12% $156
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.63 13.51% 0.37% 0.36% 1.54% 12% $1,463,901
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $14.65 (4.12%) 0.36% 0.36% 1.31% 10% $1,311,637
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.28 10.01% 0.33% 0.33% 1.30% 4% $1,539,179
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.89 3.97% 0.30% 0.30% 1.18% 8% $1,567,642
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.36 (0.22%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.25% 22% $1,566,214
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.66 13.49% 0.37% 0.36% 1.55% 12% $1,562,773
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $14.68 (4.05%) 0.36% 0.36% 1.31% 10% $1,578,450
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.30 9.91% 0.33% 0.33% 1.30% 4% $2,000,352
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $13.92 4.04% 0.30% 0.30% 1.18% 8% $2,217,158
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $13.38 (0.30%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.25% 22% $2,428,436
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (continued)
Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio, continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $16.92 0.21 1.39 1.60
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $15.93 0.22 2.35 2.57
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.87 0.18 (1.12) (0.94)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.90 0.16 1.81 1.97
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.24 0.14 0.52 0.66
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $14.32 0.16 (0.24) (0.08)
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $15.95 0.22 2.36 2.58
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.89 0.18 (1.12) (0.94)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.92 0.16 1.81 1.97
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.26 0.14 0.52 0.66
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $14.34 0.16 (0.24) (0.08)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderate Portfolio, continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $18.52 9.46% 0.10% (d) 0.10% (d) 1.38% (d) 9% $3,412
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.50 16.13% 0.35% 0.35% 1.23% 9% $8,144,403
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.93 (5.57%) 0.35% 0.35% 1.05% 10% $7,293,208
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.87 13.22% 0.32% 0.32% 1.03% 5% $8,266,265
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.90 4.64% 0.29% 0.29% 0.97% 6% $7,712,231
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $14.24 (0.56%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.13% 23% $7,690,136
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.53 16.18% 0.35% 0.35% 1.23% 9% $9,035,588
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $15.95 (5.56%) 0.35% 0.35% 1.05% 10% $9,032,721
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.89 13.20% 0.32% 0.32% 1.03% 5% $11,144,165
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $14.92 4.63% 0.29% 0.29% 0.97% 6% $11,452,377
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $14.26 (0.56%) 0.28% 0.28% 1.13% 23% $12,531,242
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (continued)
Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio, continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $18.37 0.18 1.71 1.89
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $17.05 0.18 3.01 3.19
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.34 0.15 (1.44) (1.29)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.79 0.13 2.42 2.55
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.00 0.12 0.67 0.79
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.11 0.14 (0.25) (0.11)
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $17.07 0.18 3.02 3.20
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.37 0.15 (1.45) (1.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $15.81 0.13 2.43 2.56
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.02 0.12 0.67 0.79
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.14 0.14 (0.26) (0.12)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares are based on operations from February 20, 2019 (commencement of operations) through the stated period end.
(d) Annualized.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Moderately Aggressive Portfolio, continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $20.26 10.29% 0.12% (d) 0.12% (d) 1.11% (d) 10% $9,932
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.24 18.71% 0.37% 0.37% 0.97% 10% $4,208,417
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $17.05 (7.03%) 0.36% 0.36% 0.80% 10% $4,016,103
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $18.34 16.15% 0.33% 0.33% 0.79% 6% $4,764,394
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.79 5.27% 0.30% 0.30% 0.78% 9% $4,463,979
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.00 (0.73%) 0.28% 0.28% 0.89% 24% $4,668,252
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $20.27 18.75% 0.37% 0.37% 0.97% 10% $3,546,614
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $17.07 (7.08%) 0.36% 0.36% 0.80% 10% $3,625,919
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $18.37 16.19% 0.33% 0.33% 0.78% 6% $4,658,189
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.81 5.26% 0.30% 0.30% 0.78% 9% $4,841,529
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.02 (0.79%) 0.28% 0.28% 0.88% 24% $5,526,022
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (continued)
Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio, continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $19.79 0.14 2.09 2.23
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.11 0.13 3.78 3.91
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.81 0.11 (1.81) (1.70)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.66 0.10 3.05 3.15
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.73 0.09 0.84 0.93
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.85 0.10 (0.22) (0.12)
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $18.13 0.13 3.80 3.93
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.84 0.11 (1.82) (1.71)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $16.69 0.10 3.05 3.15
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $15.75 0.09 0.85 0.94
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.87 0.10 (0.22) (0.12)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Financial Highlights (Variable Portfolio-Aggressive Portfolio, continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $22.02 11.27% 0.11% (d) 0.11% (d) 0.78% (d) 14% $4,083
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $22.02 21.59% 0.36% 0.36% 0.64% 14% $1,403,662
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.11 (8.58%) 0.36% 0.36% 0.53% 10% $1,301,923
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.81 18.91% 0.33% 0.33% 0.53% 9% $1,529,935
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.66 5.91% 0.30% 0.30% 0.54% 8% $1,371,164
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.73 (0.76%) 0.28% 0.28% 0.62% 26% $1,418,902
Class 4
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $22.06 21.68% 0.36% 0.36% 0.64% 14% $1,112,840
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $18.13 (8.62%) 0.36% 0.36% 0.53% 10% $1,079,305
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.84 18.87% 0.33% 0.33% 0.53% 9% $1,384,255
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $16.69 5.97% 0.30% 0.30% 0.54% 8% $1,414,635
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $15.75 (0.76%) 0.28% 0.28% 0.61% 26% $1,608,428
  
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A
Underlying Funds — Investment Objectives and Strategies
The following is a brief description of the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of certain of the Underlying Funds (which are referred to as Funds in the descriptions below) in which the Funds may invest as part of their principal investment strategies. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. The Investment Manager does not necessarily invest Fund assets in each of the Underlying Funds listed below. Additional information regarding the Underlying Funds is available in their prospectuses and SAIs. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the Underlying Funds. For copies of prospectuses of the Underlying Funds, which contains this and other information, call 800.345.6611. Read the prospectuses carefully before you invest.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to maintain substantial economic exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. The Fund invests, directly or indirectly, in a portfolio of commodity-linked investments, such as commodity-linked futures, structured notes and/or swaps, that are designed to provide exposure to the investment return of assets that trade in the commodities markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. A substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets will also be invested in a portfolio of fixed income securities rated investment-grade or, if unrated, deemed of comparable quality, which will consist primarily of: (i) U.S. Government securities (including U.S. Government agency securities), corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and/or asset-backed securities; and/or (ii) shares of an affiliated money market fund. In addition to investing in these holdings for their income-producing potential, these holdings will be designated by the Fund, as necessary, to serve as collateral with respect to the Fund’s commodity-linked investments.
The Fund primarily expects to gain exposure to the commodities markets by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized as a company under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary). The Subsidiary’s commodity-linked investments are expected to produce leveraged exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. It is expected that the gross notional value of the Fund’s (including the Subsidiary’s) commodity-linked investments will be equivalent to at least 90% of the Fund’s net assets. Like the Fund, the Subsidiary will not invest directly in physical commodities. The Subsidiary also invests in investment-grade fixed income securities and shares of an affiliated money market fund for investment purposes or to serve as collateral for its commodity-linked investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary permits it to gain exposure to the commodities markets in a potentially tax-efficient manner. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and, like the Fund, is managed by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager).
The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures contracts (including commodity-linked futures), options contracts (including options on futures contracts), structured investments (including commodity-linked structured notes) and swaps (including commodity-linked swaps) for hedging purposes and to increase, modify, or reduce commodity market exposures. Actual exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements and assessments of market conditions by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may engage in derivative transactions on both U.S. and foreign exchanges or in the _over-the-counter_ (OTC) market. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the energy and materials sectors.
In constructing the Fund’s fixed-income portfolio, the Investment Manager seeks to identify a portfolio of investment-grade fixed income securities, generally with a dollar-weighted average portfolio duration of 1 year or less.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities. Additionally, the Fund’s strategy of investing in derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, will also contribute to frequent portfolio trading and high portfolio turnover (typically greater than 300% per year).
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of long-term capital appreciation and current income.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks. In addition, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of U.S. companies that have large market capitalizations (generally over $2 billion) that the Fund’s investment manager believes are undervalued and have the potential for long-term growth and current income.
The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers employ a process that applies fundamental investment concepts in a systematic framework seeking to identify and exploit mispriced stocks. The Fund benefits from collaboration between quantitative and fundamental research to create sector and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models, which are utilized by the portfolio managers when constructing a diversified portfolio.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income and, as a secondary objective, steady growth of capital.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in equity securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. The selection of dividend-paying stocks is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio. The Fund invests principally in securities of companies believed to be attractively valued and to have the potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through current income and, secondarily, through capital appreciation.
The Fund invests primarily in fixed income securities of emerging markets issuers. For these purposes, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on the Fund investment team’s qualitative judgments about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in fixed income securities of issuers that are located in emerging markets countries, or that earn 50% or more of their total revenues from goods or services produced in emerging markets countries or from sales made in emerging markets countries.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Fixed income securities may be denominated in either U.S. dollars or the local currency of the issuer. While the Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country, it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single issuer. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas. The Fund can invest in emerging market sovereign debt instruments of any credit quality, including those rated investment grade and below investment grade or considered to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). Although the emerging markets sovereign debt universe largely consists of investment grade instruments, a significant portion of that universe is rated in these lower rating categories. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities (including, but not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks) of companies located in emerging market countries. The Fund may also gain exposure to such companies through investment in depositary receipts. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment.
The Fund may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector. However, the Fund has invested substantially in the consumer discretionary, financial services and information technology sectors and may continue to invest substantially in these or other sectors in the future. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
The Fund may invest in securities that the investment manager believes are undervalued, represent growth opportunities, or both.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through income and growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in debt obligations of issuers located in at least three different countries (which may include the U.S.). Debt obligations include debt securities and instruments, including money market instruments, either issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by (i) the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or
A-3 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
instrumentalities, (ii) non-U.S. governments, their agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, or (iii) corporate or other non-governmental entities. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest significantly in below investment-grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”) in seeking to achieve higher dividends and/or capital appreciation.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas and may invest in issuers in emerging markets. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In addition, in pursuing its objective, the Fund, employing fundamental analysis, may enter into various currency-, interest rate- and credit-related transactions involving derivatives instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures contracts (including currency, index, interest rate, and other bond futures), and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, inflation rate swaps, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps). The use of these derivative instruments allows the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies, interest rates, credit risks and duration risks. The Fund may use these derivatives as well as “to be announced” (TBA) mortgage-backed securities in an effort to leverage exposures and produce incremental earnings, for hedging purposes, to obtain increased or decreased exposures to various markets/sectors or to increase investment flexibility. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements, assessments of market conditions, macroeconomic analysis and qualitative valuation analysis.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal.
The Fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash. For purposes of this policy, “government securities” are any securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the Government of the United States pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United States, or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
The Fund typically invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund invests in a portfolio of securities maturing in 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing the operation of money market funds) that will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less.
The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and other rules of the SEC. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
investment purposes) in government securities and/or repurchase securities that are collateralized by government securities. The Fund will only purchase government securities, cash, repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash, and up to 0.5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in other securities that present minimal credit risk as determined by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager (the Investment Manager), pursuant to guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees of the Fund has determined that the Fund will not be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates at this time.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield debt instruments (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds or securities). These high yield debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as floating rate loans rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s assets are invested primarily in income-producing debt securities, with an emphasis on the higher rated segment of the high-yield (junk bond) market. These income-producing debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as bank loans. The Fund will purchase only debt instruments rated B or above, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality. If a debt instrument falls below a B rating after investment by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the instrument.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while attempting to conserve the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, and interest rate swaps) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Limited Duration Credit Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a level of current income consistent with preservation of capital.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in corporate bonds. The Fund primarily invests in debt securities with short- and intermediate-term maturities generally similar to those included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index (the Index). The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund’s duration is managed to help reduce volatility associated with changes in interest rates. Under normal conditions, the Fund will target duration to be similar to or lower than that of the Index, but will not exceed that of the Index by more than one year. As of March 31, 2020, the duration of the Index was 2.70 years.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures), to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund may also use these instruments for other purposes.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund’s investments may include debt instruments of governments throughout the world (including the U.S., other developed markets, and emerging markets) as well as their agencies and instrumentalities, government-sponsored enterprises, states or other political subdivisions within the U.S. or its territories, sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers, and non-governmental issuers (i.e., corporations or similar entities) throughout the world. The Fund may also invest in mortgage- and other asset backed securities. Although the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk” bonds), the Fund will primarily invest in investment grade securities. Investment grade is defined as rated Baa3/BBB or higher by at least two of the following rating agencies: Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. If only two of the three rating agencies rate the security, the lower rating is issued to determine its eligibility. If only one of the three rating agencies rates a security, the rating must be investment-grade.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign debt securities and instruments, including those of foreign governments, non-governmental issuers or other entities, and up to 20% of its net assets in preferred stock.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity will be ten years or longer. The Fund may invest opportunistically in bonds with maturities lower than 10 years.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) to manage the duration positioning of the Fund.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) at the time of purchase in the common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, midcap companies are considered to be companies whose market capitalization falls within the market capitalization range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $64.6 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a stock even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more economic sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund may invest in special situations such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities in foreign companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest directly in foreign equity securities, such as common and preferred stock, or indirectly through mutual funds and closed-end funds, as well as depositary receipts. The Fund may invest in securities of or relating to issuers believed to be undervalued (i.e., “value” stocks), represent growth opportunities (i.e., “growth” stocks), or both. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest in companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers, other corporate restructurings and other special situations. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures) and options (including options on stocks and indices), for both hedging and non-hedging purposes including, for example, for investment purposes to seek to enhance returns or, in certain circumstances, when holding a derivative is deemed preferable to holding the underlying asset. In particular, the Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s securities, to shift investment exposure from one currency to another, to shift U.S. dollar exposure to achieve a representative weighted mix of major currencies in its benchmark, or to adjust an underweight country exposure in its portfolio. The Fund may also invest in equity index futures to manage exposure to the securities market and to maintain equity market exposure while managing cash flows.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, in the range of companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $1.5 billion to $1,199.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund normally invests in common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and rights and may invest in exchange-traded funds. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 45 and 65 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as options, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which large market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 40 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations at the time of purchase fall within the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index) (between $72.6 million and $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund normally invests in common stocks and also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.3 million and $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund has substantial exposure to fixed-income/debt markets. The Fund has the flexibility to invest in any sector of the fixed-income/debt market and across the credit quality spectrum. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government bonds and notes (including those of its agencies and instrumentalities, and of government-sponsored enterprises), U.S. and international (including developed, developing and emerging markets) bonds and notes, investment grade corporate (or similar) bonds and notes, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, high yield (i.e., “junk”) instruments, floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities, inflation-protected/linked securities, convertible securities, cash/cash equivalents, as well as foreign government, sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt investments. The Fund’s investments may include non-U.S. dollar denominated instruments. The Fund may also invest in preferred securities. The Fund does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration target.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts for investment and hedging purposes), futures (including bond futures for managing yield curve and duration risk, and index and interest rate futures for hedging and investment purposes), options (including options on listed futures for hedging purposes), and swaps (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes and interest rate swaps for hedging purposes, and total return swaps for investment purposes). The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund may invest in interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) bonds (commonly known as stripped securities) for investment purposes.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, preservation of capital.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in mortgage-related securities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage-related securities that either are issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities. This includes, but is not limited to, Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) mortgage-backed bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; and Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) mortgage-backed bonds. FNMA and FHLMC are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress; however, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures) to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund
Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in money market instruments, such as marketable debt obligations issued by corporations or the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, letters of credit, commercial paper, including asset-backed commercial paper, and repurchase agreements. The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in money market instruments issued by U.S. banks, U.S. branches of foreign banks and U.S. Government securities in the event that such investments would be appropriate for the Fund in seeking to achieve its objective, including, for example, if the interest rate environment is such that these investments are expected to provide higher rates of return than other money market instruments. The Fund may invest less than 25% in such investments if the interest rate environment is such that other money market instruments are expected to provide a higher rate of return. Additionally, the Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign investments. The Fund may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Although the Fund’s shares are priced with a floating NAV, capital appreciation is not expected to play a role in the Fund’s return. The Fund’s yield generally will vary from day to day.
The Fund restricts its investments to instruments that meet certain maturity and quality standards required by the SEC for money market funds. For example, the Fund:
Buys securities determined to present minimal credit risk by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager).
Limits its U.S. dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity to 60 days or less and its U.S. dollar-weighted average life to 120 days or less.
Buys obligations with remaining maturities of 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by SEC rules governing the operation of money market funds).
Buys only obligations that are denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund is offered only to other Columbia Funds.
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Although the Fund emphasizes high- and medium-quality debt securities, it may assume increased credit risk by investing in below investment-grade fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and certain U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). Ginnie Mae is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Securities issued or guaranteed by other U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home
A-11 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, they are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to
Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory
restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures) and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) in an effort to manage interest rate exposure, to produce incremental earnings, to hedge existing positions, and to increase market exposure and investment flexibility.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over the long term.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected debt securities. These securities include inflation-indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. Government and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The Fund invests only in securities rated investment grade at the time of purchase by a third-party rating agency or, if unrated, deemed by the management team to be of comparable quality. Up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in sectors outside the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays World Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index USD Hedged (the Index). The Fund seeks to maintain an average duration that is within a range of plus or minus 20% of the duration of the Index.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate, other bond, and index futures), options (including options on futures and indices) and swaps (including interest rate swaps and inflation rate swaps). The Fund may enter into derivatives for investment purposes, for risk management (hedging) purposes, to increase flexibility, to produce incremental earnings, and to manage duration, yield curve and interest rate exposure. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The management team may hedge any portion of the non-U.S. dollar denominated securities in the Fund to the U.S. dollar.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities issued by companies in the real estate industry. A company is considered to be in the real estate industry if it (i) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the ownership, construction, management, financing or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate or (ii) has at least 50% of the fair market value of its assets invested in residential, commercial or industrial real estate. Companies in the real estate industry include, among others, real estate operating companies (REOCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund
CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies located in countries outside the United States. Equity securities include, without limitation, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
The Fund may invest in companies across all market capitalizations. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund’s investments include companies that are located in the countries represented in the MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index), which includes developed countries outside of North America. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in companies that are located in countries not represented in the Index, such as emerging markets countries. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of companies listed on a non-U.S. securities exchange or quoted on an established foreign over-the-counter market, or in depository receipts such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs).
The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs), warrants and rights.
The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
In managing the Fund, the subadviser utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom-up stock selection process.
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
CTIV® - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large-capitalization companies believed to have the potential for long-term growth. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging market securities, directly or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund will not concentrate its assets in any single industry but may from time to time invest more than 25% of its assets in companies conducting business in various industries within an economic sector. The Fund will typically invest in a limited number of companies.
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund’s subadviser uses quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct the Fund’s portfolio.
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
CTIVP® - MFS® Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund’s assets are invested primarily in equity securities. The Fund invests primarily in the stocks of companies that are believed to be undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies). Value companies tend to have stock prices that are low relative to their earnings, dividends, assets, or other financial measures.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and depositary receipts for such securities. While the Fund may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Fund generally focuses on large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies are defined by the Fund as those companies with market capitalizations of at least $5 billion at the time of purchase.
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
CTIVP® - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund has exposure to equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and limited partnership interests. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, the Fund primarily focuses on large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging market investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. The Fund typically employs a focused portfolio investing style, which results in fewer holdings than a fund that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a greater number of issuers.
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities, including debt securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations, debt securities issued by corporations,
Prospectus 2020 A-14

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign governments, companies or other entities, bank loans and other obligations. Other obligations include any other security or instrument in which there is a requirement or obligation to repay money borrowed. For purposes of its 80% test, the Fund treats investment in loans as “debt securities,” even though loans may not be “securities” under certain of the federal securities laws. The Fund invests at least 60% of its net assets in debt securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated in at least one of the three highest rating categories or are unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration at the Fund level.
Up to 25% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign investments (including in emerging markets), which may include investments of up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities. In connection with its strategy relating to foreign investments, the Fund may buy or sell foreign currencies in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) and futures contracts (including interest rate futures) for hedging purposes and to manage duration of the Fund.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may also hold/invest in cash, money market instruments (which may include investments in one or more affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or similar vehicles) or other high-quality, short-term investments, including for the purpose of covering its obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital and income.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund’s subadviser seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but, in the opinion of the subadviser, have good prospects for capital appreciation. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, the Fund considers mid-cap companies to be those whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix A (continued)
(the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $72.6 million to $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. As a result of the bottom-up stock selection process, Victory Capital Management Inc. from time to time may find more compelling investment opportunities in certain economic sectors, such as the financial services sector.
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income consistent with capital preservation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Government obligations, including debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored entities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets within non-government mortgage and asset-backed securities.
In pursuit of its objective, the Fund will purchase only securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, within the two highest rating categories assigned by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, or if deemed to be of comparable quality. As part of the Fund’s investment strategy, it may invest in stripped securities (securities that have been transformed from a principal amount with periodic interest coupons into a series of zero-coupon bonds, with the range of maturities matching the coupon payment dates and the redemption date of the principal amount) or enter into mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements. In addition, the Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, and to a lesser extent, other securities rated AA- or Aa3 that the Fund’s subadviser believes will sufficiently outperform U.S. Treasuries. Generally, the portfolio’s overall dollar-weighted average effective duration is less than that of a 3-year U.S. Treasury note.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures), to hedge interest rate exposure of the Fund.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those companies with a market capitalization that falls within the range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $64.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while conserving the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund invests primarily in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements, as well as invest in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign issuers.
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Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities. Equity securities include, for example, common stock, preferred stock and convertible securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
Fundamental analysis and quantitative models are utilized in buying and selling investments for the Fund.
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of foreign issuers, located or traded in countries other than the U.S., that are believed to offer strong growth potential. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests its assets in companies whose market capitalizations fall within the range of the companies that comprise the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $613.5 million to $305.9 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including index futures), forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), as well as in foreign currencies and exchange-traded funds, for hedging purposes, to gain exposure to the equity market and to maintain liquidity to pay for redemptions. A portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or cash-equivalent investments, including, but not limited to, short-term investment funds and money market funds.
Quantitative models are used as part of the investment process for the Fund. The models consider a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to, value and momentum.
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 70 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region
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Appendix A (continued)
and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large non-U.S. companies associated with developed markets that the Fund’s portfolio managers determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its assets in companies in three or more non-U.S. developed market countries. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
Investments for the Fund will not be based upon an issuer’s dividend payment policy or record. However, many of the companies whose securities will be included in the Fund’s portfolio pay dividends. It is anticipated, therefore, that the Fund will receive dividend income.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) in connection with the settlement of equity trades or the exchange of one currency for another and futures contracts (including equity and index futures) to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Fund.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in the equity securities of small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies are defined as those companies with a market capitalization, at the time of purchase, of up to $2.5 billion, or that fall within the range of the Russell 2000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.9 million to $11.3 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the health care sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each subadviser employs an active investment strategy. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
Variable Portfolio - Partners Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in small cap companies. For these purposes, small cap companies are those that have a market capitalization, at the time of investment, that falls within the range of the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) or up to $2.5 billion, whichever is greater. The Fund may buy and hold stock in a company that is not included in the Index. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.3 million to
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$5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in any type of security, including common stocks and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each of the subadvisers employs an active investment strategy that focuses on small cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what are believed to be undervalued securities. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
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Appendix B
Underlying Funds — Principal Risks
The ability of each Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to its allocation among the Underlying Funds and the ability of the Underlying Funds to meet their investment objectives, as well as the investment performance of the Funds’ other investments.  The following is a brief description of certain of the principal risks associated with investments in the Underlying Funds in which the Funds may invest as part of their principal investment strategies.  The Funds are subject indirectly to these risks through their investments in the Underlying Funds, and are also subject directly to certain of these risks to the extent they invest in individual securities and other instruments, as described in Principal Risks above. Additional information regarding the principal risks associated with investment in the Underlying Funds is available in the applicable Underlying Fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.  This prospectus is not an offer for any of the Underlying Funds.
The references in each case to the “Fund” within each of the below risks descriptions in this Appendix B refers to the Underlying Fund(s) that the Funds may invest in.
Active Management Risk. Certain Funds are actively managed by their portfolio managers. Certain other Funds are managed based primarily on quantitative methods, with the portfolio managers conducting a qualitative review of the quantitative output. In either case, the Funds could underperform their benchmark indices and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Allocation  Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes and/or investments will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Regulatory Risk. The Fund does not qualify for an exemption from registration as a “commodity pool” under rules of the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). Accordingly, the Fund is a commodity pool under the CEA and the Investment Manager is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. The Fund is subject to dual regulation by the SEC and the CFTC. Compliance with the CFTC’s regulatory requirements could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund's total return.
Commodity-related Investment Risk. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include demand for the commodity, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory and other developments. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the value of the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than other types of investments. Commodities investments may also subject the Fund to counterparty risk and liquidity risk. The Fund may make commodity-related investments through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries organized outside the U.S. that are generally not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections.
Commodity-related Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund’s investments in commodities or commodity-related investments can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify.
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Appendix B (continued)
Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual
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Appendix B (continued)
investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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Appendix B (continued)
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. Structured investments may create economic leverage which may increase the volatility of the value of the investment. Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions
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Appendix B (continued)
against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to the risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. Increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist and similar measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and
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Appendix B (continued)
the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. The Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Chinese economies are dependent on the economies of other countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from other emerging economies in Asia with lower costs. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties. The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak have exacerbated political and diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, which could adversely affect international trade and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Changes in Chinese government policy and economic growth rates could significantly affect local markets and the entire Greater China region. China has yet to develop comprehensive securities, corporate, or commercial laws, its market is relatively new and less developed, and its economy is experiencing a relative slowdown. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Latin America Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Latin America region. These include risks of elevated and volatile interest, inflation and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations, exchange rate volatility and relatively high dependence upon commodities and international trade may also present additional risks for the Fund. Latin American economies may be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls, limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities, inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. In addition, investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying funds. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated underlying funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund.  The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all. The underlying funds may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in underlying funds, may not achieve its investment objective.
Investing in Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Risk. By investing in a Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Fund’s Principal Risks may also apply to a Subsidiary in which the Fund invests (which are described in this prospectus). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of a Subsidiary will be achieved. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and any Subsidiary in which it invests, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund's assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund's obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Floating rate loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, may trade infrequently, their value may be impaired when the Fund needs to liquidate such loans, and are typically subject to extended settlement periods, each of which gives rise to liquidity risk.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Investors have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. Investments are also subject to certain tax risks and conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership.
Model and Data Risk. Given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Fund’s subadviser may rely heavily on quantitative models and information and traditional and non-traditional data supplied by third parties (Models and Data). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund’s investments.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in forecasting movements in industries, sectors or companies and/or in determining the size, direction and/or the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated, and major losses may result.
The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
Momentum Style Risk. Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy suffers more than that of a Fund not following a momentum strategy.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Money Market Fund Risk (For Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund). Although government money market funds (such as the Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.
At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
Money Market Fund Risk (For Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund). At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
If, at any time, the Fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below 30% of its total assets and the Board determines it is in the best interests of the Fund, the Fund may, as early as the same day and at any time during the day, impose a fee of up to 2% of the value of all shares redeemed and/or temporarily suspend redemptions (sometimes referred to as imposing redemption gates) for up to 10 business days. If, at the end of any business day, the Fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below 10% of its total assets, the Fund must impose a fee, as of the beginning of the next business day, of 1% of the value of all shares redeemed, unless the Board determines that imposing such a fee is not in the best interests of the Fund or the Board determines that a lower or higher fee (not to exceed 2% of the value of all shares redeemed) would be in the best interests of the Fund. These determinations may affect the composition of the investment portfolio, performance and operating expenses of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Energy Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the energy sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.
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Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Health Care Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the health care sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Materials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the materials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the materials sector are subject to certain risks, including that many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, environmental policies, consumer demand, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the materials sector. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, that at times worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions. In addition, prices of, and thus the Fund’s investments in, precious metals are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide and economic, financial and political factors. Prices of precious metals may fluctuate sharply.
Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities.
Tax Risk. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income. The Fund's investments can be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund's ability to so qualify. The tax treatment of certain investments and of the income and gain therefrom under the qualifying income test applicable to regulated investment companies is uncertain, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) may affect the Fund's ability to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, including on a retroactive basis. If the
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Fund of Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, or if it were ineligible to or otherwise could not cure such failure, the Fund would be ineligible (including retroactively) for the favorable tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies for one or more years, which would adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets in the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary currently take steps to, and will continue to take steps to, ensure that the Fund's income in respect of the Subsidiary will constitute qualifying income. Failure to do so could affect the ability of the Fund to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income of the Fund. Also, net losses realized by the Subsidiary cannot be carried forward to offset income of the Subsidiary in future years.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and are subject to liquidity risk which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
When-Issued, Delayed Settlement and Forward Commitment Transactions, Including U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Notes Risk. When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. A Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the purchase and settlement dates. Such transactions include floating rate obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their coupon rates do not reset as high, or as quickly, as interest rates in general, and generally carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity.
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VARIABLE PORTFOLIO-CONSERVATIVE  PORTFOLIO
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO-MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE PORTFOLIO
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO-MODERATE PORTFOLIO
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO-MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE PORTFOLIO
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO-AGGRESSIVE PORTFOLIO
70100 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
For More Information
The Funds are sold exclusively as underlying options of variable insurance policies and variable annuity contracts issued by affiliated insurance companies. Please refer to the Contract prospectus that describes your annuity contract or insurance policy for information about how to buy, sell and transfer your investment among shares of the Funds.
Additional Information About the Funds
Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Funds’ SAI, annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Funds and their policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Funds as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
70100
Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about each Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which each Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6534-99 AT (05/20)
Table of Contents
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund

  
The Fund may offer Class 1 and Class 2 shares to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Fund.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.63% 0.63%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.03% 0.03%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.66% 0.91%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $67 $211 $368 $ 822
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $93 $290 $504 $1,120
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio.
In accordance with industry practice, derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition are excluded from the calculation of the portfolio turnover rate, which leads to the 0% portfolio turnover rate reported above. If these instruments were included in the calculation, the Fund would have a high portfolio turnover rate (typically greater than 300% (as discussed below under Principal Investment Strategies)).
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to maintain substantial economic exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. The Fund invests, directly or indirectly, in a portfolio of commodity-linked investments, such as commodity-linked futures, structured notes and/or swaps, that are designed to provide exposure to the investment return of assets that trade in the commodities markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. A substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets will also be invested in a portfolio of fixed income securities rated investment-grade or, if unrated, deemed of comparable quality, which will consist primarily of: (i) U.S. Government securities (including U.S. Government agency securities), corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and/or asset-backed securities; and/or (ii) shares of an affiliated money market fund. In addition to investing in these holdings for their income-producing potential, these holdings will be designated by the Fund, as necessary, to serve as collateral with respect to the Fund’s commodity-linked investments.
The Fund primarily expects to gain exposure to the commodities markets by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized as a company under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary). The Subsidiary’s commodity-linked investments are expected to produce leveraged exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. It is expected that the gross notional value of the Fund’s (including the Subsidiary’s) commodity-linked investments will be equivalent to at least 90% of the Fund’s net assets. Like the Fund, the Subsidiary will not invest directly in physical commodities. The Subsidiary also invests in investment-grade fixed income securities and shares of an affiliated money market fund for investment purposes or to serve as collateral for its commodity-linked investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary permits it to gain exposure to the commodities markets in a potentially tax-efficient manner. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and, like the Fund, is managed by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager).
The Fund may invest in derivatives, including futures contracts (including commodity-linked futures), options contracts (including options on futures contracts), structured investments (including commodity-linked structured notes) and swaps (including commodity-linked swaps) for hedging purposes and to increase, modify, or reduce commodity market exposures. Actual exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements and assessments of market conditions by the Fund's portfolio managers.  The Fund may engage in derivative transactions on both U.S. and foreign exchanges or in the "over-the-counter" (OTC) market. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the energy and materials sectors.
In constructing the Fund’s fixed-income portfolio, the Investment Manager seeks to identify a portfolio of investment-grade fixed income securities, generally with a dollar-weighted average portfolio duration of 1 year or less.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities. Additionally, the Fund’s strategy of investing in derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, will also contribute to frequent portfolio trading and high portfolio turnover (typically greater than 300% per year).
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Commodity-related Investment Risk, Derivatives Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund as well as those associated with the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. (References in this section to “the Fund” also include the Subsidiary, which shares the same risks as the Fund.)
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Regulatory Risk. The Fund does not qualify for an exemption from registration as a “commodity pool” under rules of the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). Accordingly, the Fund is a commodity pool under the CEA and the Investment Manager is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. The Fund is subject to dual regulation by the SEC and the CFTC. Compliance with the CFTC’s regulatory requirements could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund's total return.
Commodity-related Investment Risk. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include demand for the commodity, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory and other developments. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the value of the Fund’s investments to greater volatility than other types of investments. Commodities investments may also subject the Fund to counterparty risk and liquidity risk. The Fund may make commodity-related investments through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries organized outside the U.S. that are generally not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections.
Commodity-related Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund’s investments in commodities or commodity-related investments can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. Structured investments may create economic leverage which may increase the volatility of the value of the investment. Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Risk. By investing in a Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Fund’s Principal Risks may also apply to a Subsidiary in which the Fund invests (which are described in this prospectus). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of a Subsidiary will be achieved. Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and any Subsidiary in which it invests, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI) and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. In general, commodity investments tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities. In addition, commodity prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the energy and materials sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Energy Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the energy sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.
Materials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the materials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the materials sector are subject to certain risks, including that many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, environmental policies, consumer demand, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the materials sector. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, that at times worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions. In addition, prices of, and thus the Fund’s investments in, precious metals are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide and economic, financial and political factors. Prices of precious metals may fluctuate sharply.
Tax Risk. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income. The Fund's investments can be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund's ability to so qualify. The tax treatment of certain investments and of the income and gain therefrom under the qualifying income test applicable to regulated investment companies is uncertain, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) may affect the Fund's ability to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, including on a retroactive basis. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, or if it were ineligible to or otherwise could not cure such failure, the Fund would be ineligible (including retroactively) for the favorable tax treatment afforded to regulated investment companies for one or more years, which would adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets in the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary currently take steps to, and will continue to take steps to, ensure that the Fund's income in respect of the Subsidiary will constitute qualifying income. Failure to do so could affect the ability of the Fund to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income of the Fund. Also, net losses realized by the Subsidiary cannot be carried forward to offset income of the Subsidiary in future years.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 (follow the prompts or ask for a representative), visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com, or by sending an e-mail to serviceinquiries@columbiathreadneedle.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 2nd Quarter 2016 13.14%
Worst

4th Quarter 2014 -14.88%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 04/30/2013 7.80% -3.98% -7.20%
Class 2 04/30/2013 7.78% -4.22% -7.41%
Bloomberg Commodity Index Total Return (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   7.69% -3.92% -6.48%
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Marc Khalamayzer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Liquid Alternatives   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Matthew Ferrelli, CFA   Associate Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
More Information About the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return.
The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund seeks to maintain substantial economic exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. The Fund invests, directly or indirectly, in a portfolio of commodity-linked investments, such as commodity-linked futures, structured notes and/or swaps, that are designed to provide exposure to the investment return of assets that trade in the commodities markets, without investing directly in physical commodities. A substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets will also be invested in a portfolio of fixed income securities rated investment-grade or, if unrated, deemed of comparable quality, which will consist primarily of: (i) U.S. Government securities (including U.S. Government agency securities), corporate debt securities, mortgage-backed securities and/or asset-backed securities; and/or (ii) shares of an affiliated money market fund. In addition to investing in these holdings for their income-producing potential, these holdings will be designated by the Fund, as necessary, to serve as collateral with respect to the Fund’s commodity-linked investments.
The Fund primarily expects to gain exposure to the commodities markets by investing up to 25% of its total assets in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized as a company under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the Subsidiary). The Subsidiary’s commodity-linked investments are expected to produce leveraged exposure to the performance of the commodities markets. It is expected that the gross notional value of the Fund’s (including the Subsidiary’s) commodity-linked investments will be equivalent to at least 90% of the Fund’s net assets. Like the Fund, the Subsidiary will not invest directly in physical commodities. The Subsidiary also invests in investment-grade fixed income securities and shares of an affiliated money market fund for investment purposes or to serve as collateral for its commodity-linked investments. The Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary permits it to gain exposure to the commodities markets in a potentially tax-efficient manner. The Subsidiary has the same investment objective as the Fund and, like the Fund, is managed by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager).
The Fund (primarily through the Subsidiary) is expected to invest significantly in commodity-linked futures contracts in furtherance of its investment objective. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of a specified financial instrument, asset (e.g., commodity) or currency at a future time at a specified price. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. In particular, commodity futures contracts normally specify a certain date for the delivery of the underlying physical commodity. In order to avoid the delivery process and maintain a long futures position, the Fund and the Subsidiary will typically replace futures contracts as they approach expiration by contracts that have a later expiration. This process is known as “rolling” a futures position. As a result, the Fund and the Subsidiary do not expect to engage in physical settlement of commodities futures.
The Fund and the Subsidiary may also utilize commodity-linked structured notes to gain exposure to commodities markets.
The Fund and the Subsidiary typically have the right to “put” (or sell) a commodity-linked structured note to the issuer at any time, at a price that is calculated based on the price movement of the underlying variable. Commodity-linked structured notes have characteristics of both a debt security and a commodity-linked derivative. Typically, commodity-linked structured notes are issued by a bank or other financial institution or a commodity producer at a specified face value (for example $100 or $1,000). They usually pay interest at a fixed or floating rate until they mature, which is normally in 12 to 18 months. At maturity, the Fund or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, receives a payment that is calculated based on the price increase or decrease of an underlying commodity-related variable and may be based on a multiple of the price movement of that variable. The underlying commodity-related variable may be a physical
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
commodity (such as heating oil, livestock, or agricultural products), a commodity futures or option contract, a commodity index (such as the S&P GSCI), or some other readily measurable variable that reflects changes in the value of particular commodities or the commodities markets. A typical commodity-linked structured note also provides that the issuer will automatically repurchase the note from the Fund or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, if the value of the note decreases to a specified level based on the price of the underlying variable.
The Fund and the Subsidiary may also invest in commodity-linked swaps. Commodity-linked swaps are two party contracts in which the parties agree to exchange the return or interest rate on one instrument for the return of a particular commodity, commodity index or commodities futures or options contract. The payment streams are calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional amount.
Derivatives, including those described above and options contracts (including options on futures contracts), may also be utilized to increase, modify, or reduce commodity market exposures. Actual exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements and assessments of market conditions by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may engage in derivative transactions on both U.S. and foreign exchanges or in the “over-the-counter” (OTC) market. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the energy and materials sectors.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities. Additionally, the Fund’s strategy of investing in derivative instruments and instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, will also contribute to frequent portfolio trading and high portfolio turnover (typically greater than 300% per year).
Investment Process
In constructing the Fund’s exposure to commodities markets, the Investment Manager seeks to exploit temporary market inefficiencies or other events and identify investment opportunities across a broad spectrum of the commodities markets through the use of both macroeconomic assessments of commodity sectors (such as industrial metals sector, precious metals sector, energy sector and agriculture sector) and fundamental analyses of individual commodities (such as aluminum, zinc, silver, platinum, crude oil, natural gas, corn, cocoa, etc.). In analyzing conditions for investment in particular sectors and applying macroeconomic analysis, the Fund’s portfolio managers will rely on economic research, investment themes and sector weighting and asset allocation considerations. The portfolio managers’ views of individual commodities are driven by market information (i.e., relative value) and fundamental inputs (e.g., short-term shifts in supply and demand, weather conditions for particular agricultural commodities), technical inputs (e.g., volatility, market trends), seasonal inputs (e.g., seasonal period performance), and structural and liquidity inputs (e.g., heavy shorting in market against a particular commodity). The portfolio managers will then implement their approach by constructing a portfolio that is generally allocated among a variety of commodity sectors. The portfolio managers will consider which type of commodity-linked investment is best suited to provide the desired exposure to the commodities markets at a given point in time and the extent to which investments should be made directly or indirectly through the Subsidiary.
In constructing the Fund’s fixed-income portfolio, the Investment Manager seeks to identify a portfolio of investment-grade fixed income securities, generally with a dollar-weighted average portfolio duration of 1 year or less. Duration measures the sensitivity of bond prices to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of a bond, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. For example, a three-year duration means a bond is expected to decrease in value by 3% if interest rates rise 1% and increase in value by 3% if interest rates fall 1%. In pursuing the Fund’s investment objective, the Investment Manager has considerable flexibility in deciding which investments it buys, holds or sells on a day-to-day basis.
The Investment Manager actively manages the Fund’s and the Subsidiary’s exposure to commodities markets and will rebalance commodity sector positions and weightings when there are perceived opportunities in other sectors or in other individual commodities.
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Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Commodity-related Investment Risk, Derivatives Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund as well as those associated with the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. (References in this section to “the Fund” also include the Subsidiary, which shares the same risks as the Fund.)
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Regulatory Risk. The Fund does not qualify for an exemption from registration as a “commodity pool” under rules of the Commodity Exchange Act (the CEA). Accordingly, the Fund is a commodity pool under the CEA and the Investment Manager is registered as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. The Fund is subject to dual regulation by the SEC and the CFTC. Compliance with the CFTC’s regulatory requirements could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund's total return.
Commodity-related Investment Risk. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include demand for the commodity, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory and other developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may, in turn, reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the value of the Fund's investments to greater volatility than other types of investments. No, or limited, active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments thereby subjecting the Fund to increased liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). Certain types of commodities instruments are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. The Fund may make commodity-related investments through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries organized outside the U.S. that are generally not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. However, any such subsidiary is wholly owned and controlled by the Fund, making it unlikely that the subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Further, any such subsidiaries will be subject to the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, and can be adversely affected by developments in that jurisdiction.
Commodity-related Tax Risk. The Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund’s investments in commodities or commodity-related investments can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the
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issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such
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contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A commodity-linked future is a derivative that is an agreement to buy or sell one or more commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures at a specific date in the future at a specific price.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments typically provide interest income, thereby offering a potential yield advantage over investing directly in an underlying reference. Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. In some cases, depending on its terms, a structured investment may provide that principal and/or interest payments may be adjusted below zero resulting in a potential loss of principal and/or interest payments. Additionally, the particular terms of a structured investment may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price change of the underlying reference. Economic leverage will increase the volatility of structured investment prices, and could result in increased losses for the Fund. The Fund’s use of structured instruments may not work as intended. If structured investments are used to reduce the duration of the Fund’s portfolio, this may limit the Fund’s return when having a longer duration would be beneficial (for instance, when interest rates decline). Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A commodity-linked structured note is a derivative (structured investment) that has principal and/or interest payments based on the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), a basket of commodities, indices of commodity futures or other economic variable. If payment of interest on a commodity-linked structured note is linked to the value of a particular commodity, basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might receive lower interest payments (or not receive any of the interest due) on its investments if there is a loss of value in the underlying reference. Further, to the extent that the amount of principal to be repaid upon maturity is linked to the value of a particular commodity,
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  basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might not receive a portion (or any) of the principal at maturity of the investment or upon earlier exchange. At any time, the risk of loss associated with a particular structured note in the Fund’s portfolio may be significantly higher than the value of the note. A liquid secondary market may not exist for the commodity-linked structured notes held in the Fund’s portfolio, which may make it difficult for the notes to be sold at a price acceptable to the portfolio manager(s) or for the Fund to accurately value them.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A commodity-linked swap is a derivative (swap) that is an agreement where the underlying reference is the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Risk. By investing in a Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The Fund’s Principal Risks may also apply to a Subsidiary in which the Fund invests (which are described in this prospectus). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of a Subsidiary will be achieved. No Subsidiary is registered under the 1940 Act and, except as otherwise noted in this prospectus, no Subsidiary is subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls any Subsidiary in which it invests, and the Fund and any Subsidiary in which it invests are managed by Columbia Management, making it unlikely that a Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in any Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. In managing a Subsidiary’s investment portfolio, Columbia Management, or the Subsidiary’s subadviser (if any), will manage the Subsidiary’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. Changes in the laws of the United States
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and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and any Subsidiary in which it invests, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in this prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands currently does not impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on any Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law is changed and a Subsidiary is required to pay Cayman Island taxes, the investment returns of the Fund would likely decrease.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the
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Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. In general, commodity investments tend to have greater price volatility than debt securities. In addition, commodity prices may be sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment
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objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
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Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the energy and materials sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Energy Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the energy sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.
Materials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the materials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the materials sector are subject to certain risks, including that many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, environmental policies, consumer demand, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the materials sector. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, that at times worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions. In addition, prices of, and thus the Fund’s investments in, precious metals are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide and economic, financial and political factors. Prices of precious metals may fluctuate sharply.
Tax Risk. To qualify as a regulated investment company, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and meet certain asset diversification requirements, including that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year, not more than 25% of the value of its total assets be invested including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or greater voting stock interest in any single issuer. The Fund's investments can be limited by the Fund's intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can limit the Fund's ability to so qualify. The tax treatment of certain of the Fund's investments and of the income and gain therefrom for these purposes is uncertain, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS may affect the Fund's ability to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, including on a retroactive basis. If the Fund were to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, or if it were ineligible to or otherwise could not cure such failure, the Fund would be ineligible (including retroactively) for the favorable tax treatment afforded to it as such for one or more years, which would adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. The Fund intends to invest a portion of its assets in the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary currently take steps to, and will continue to take steps to, ensure that the Fund's income in respect of the Subsidiary will constitute qualifying income. Failure to do so could affect the ability of the Fund to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company. If a net loss is realized by the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income of the Fund. Also, net losses realized by the
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Subsidiary cannot be carried forward to offset income of the Subsidiary in future years. Please refer to “Distributions and Taxes” in this prospectus or to “Taxation” in the SAI for additional information about the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Fund.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the SAI. The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction
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counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
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Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
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Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund
Class 1 0.80%
Class 2 1.05%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold
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short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Obtaining Recent Net Asset Value Per Share
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. For additional information on how the Fund calculates its NAV, see About Fund Shares and Transactions Share Price Determination below.
You may obtain the current NAV of Fund shares at no cost by calling 800.345.6611 (follow the prompts or ask for a representative) or by sending an e-mail to serviceinquiries@columbiathreadneedle.com.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
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The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, only the Investment Manager is providing investment advisory services to the Fund.
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. From time to time, the Investment Manager  (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) may engage its Participating Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Fund. These Participating Affiliates will provide services to these accounts of the Investment Manager  (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Fund will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Participating Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions and, where required, the SEC and the CFTC in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of these Participating Affiliates may serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in this prospectus and the Fund's SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures, may provide such services to the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.63% of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
With respect to the Fund, the Fund’s Board has approved a subadvisory agreement between the Investment Manager and Threadneedle International Limited (Threadneedle), an affiliate of the Investment Manager and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. At present, Threadneedle is not providing services to the Fund pursuant to the subadvisory agreement. Threadneedle previously provided subadvisory services pursuant to the subadvisory agreement from 2013 through December 9, 2019, and the Investment Manager may in the future determine to re-allocate Fund assets to Threadneedle to serve the Fund in a subadvisory capacity. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment subadvisory agreement with Threadneedle is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s and the Subsidiary's investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
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Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Marc Khalamayzer, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Liquid Alternatives   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Matthew Ferrelli, CFA   Associate Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Mr. Khalamayzer joined the Investment Manager in 2014 as an analyst for the Global Investment Solutions Group. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Khalamayzer was a director at Gottex Fund Management Sarl. Mr. Khalamayzer began his investment career in 2006 and earned a B.S. in economics-finance and an M.S. in finance from Bentley University.
Mr. Ferrelli joined the Investment Manager in 2017 as an analyst for the Global Asset Allocation team. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Ferrelli was a risk analyst at Putnam Investments. Mr. Ferrelli began his investment career in 2005 and earned a B.A. from Boston College and an M.S. in finance from Suffolk University.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
About the Fund’s Wholly-Owned Subsidiary
The Subsidiary is an exempted company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands. The Fund will invest in the Subsidiary in order to gain exposure to the commodities markets within the limitations of Subchapter M of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, applicable to “regulated investment companies.” The Fund must invest no more than 25% of its total assets in the Subsidiary as of the end of each quarter of its taxable year.
The Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors. However, the Fund’s Board oversees investment activities of the Subsidiary generally as if the Subsidiary’s investments were held directly by the Fund. The Investment Manager is responsible for the Subsidiary’s day-to-day business pursuant to a separate management agreement, which includes investment advisory services and administrative services, between the Subsidiary and the Investment Manager. Under this agreement, the Investment Manager provides the Subsidiary with the same type of management services, under the same terms, as are provided to the Fund. The Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract for
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
the provision of custody services with the same service provider who provides these services to the Fund. The Subsidiary will bear the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the management and custody services that it receives. The Fund expects that the expenses borne by the Subsidiary will not be material in relation to the value of the Fund’s assets.
In determining which investments should be bought and sold for the Subsidiary, and in adhering to the Fund’s compliance policies and procedures, the Investment Manager will treat the assets of the Subsidiary as if the assets were held directly by the Fund. The Investment Manager will, to the extent applicable, also treat the assets of the Subsidiary as if the assets were held directly by the Fund with respect to its adherence to the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.
Please refer to the SAI for additional information about the organization and management of the Subsidiary.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
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About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
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About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
    
Declaration and Distribution Schedule
Declarations Annually
Distributions Annually
The Fund may declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.
Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the NAV per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions to be paid in cash.
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund intends to qualify and to be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in fund-level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income. These benefits, which
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received from the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts.
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Consolidated Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Consolidated Financial Highlights (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.21 0.08 0.33 0.41 (0.07) (0.07)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.05 0.07 (0.90) (0.83) (0.01) (0.01)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.33 0.01 0.07 0.08 (0.36) (0.36)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.61 (0.02) 0.74 0.72
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $7.34 (0.05) (1.68) (1.73)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.15 0.07 0.33 0.40 (0.05) (0.05)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $6.00 0.06 (0.91) (0.85)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.27 (0.01) 0.08 0.07 (0.34) (0.34)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $5.58 (0.04) 0.73 0.69
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $7.32 (0.07) (1.67) (1.74)
  
Notes to Consolidated Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
42 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund
Consolidated Financial Highlights (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.55 7.80% 0.66% 0.66% 1.53% 0% $404,193
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.21 (13.77%) 0.66% (c) 0.66% (c) 1.18% 0% $226,877
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.05 1.80% 0.69% 0.69% 0.15% 0% $536,624
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.33 12.83% 0.74% 0.74% (0.39%) 0% $481,110
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $5.61 (23.57%) 0.88% 0.88% (0.77%) 0% $42,326
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $5.50 7.78% 0.91% 0.91% 1.29% 0% $16,059
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $5.15 (14.17%) 0.92% (c) 0.92% (c) 1.05% 0% $15,269
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $6.00 1.71% 0.94% 0.94% (0.09%) 0% $15,541
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $6.27 12.37% 0.99% 0.99% (0.63%) 0% $10,540
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $5.58 (23.77%) 1.15% 1.15% (1.02%) 0% $3,550
  
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6628-99 AT (05/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund

  
This Fund is closed to new investors.
Please remember that you may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by owning RiverSource Variable Annuity Fund A or RiverSource Variable Annuity Fund B contract (the Contract) and allocating your purchase payments to the variable account that invests in the Fund. There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Fund.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Table of Contents

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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management fees 0.40%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00%
Other expenses 0.05%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.45%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.05%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.40%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) indefinitely. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rate of 0.40%.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
The example includes contractual commitments to waive fees and reimburse expenses as indicated in the previous table. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund $41 $128 $224 $505
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 66% of the average value of its portfolio.
Prospectus 2020 3

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers use quantitative analysis to evaluate the relative attractiveness of potential investments.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Quantitative Model Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Although the Fund is managed based primarily on quantitative methods, a qualitative review of the quantitative output is conducted by the portfolio managers. Therefore, the Fund’s performance will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make active, qualitative decisions, including allocation decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the
Prospectus 2020 5

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611.
    
6 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2012 14.77%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -13.62%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Inception Date 1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund 09/10/2004 25.18% 10.69% 14.22%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.70% 13.56%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Condon, CFA, CAIA*   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Quantitative Strategies   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Peter Albanese   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Raghavendran Sivaraman, Ph.D., CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
* Brian Condon has announced that he plans to retire from the Investment Manager, on May 31, 2020. Until then, Mr. Condon will continue to serve as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
You may not buy (nor will you own) shares of the Fund directly. You invest by buying an annuity contract and allocating your purchase payments to the variable account that invests in the Fund. Please see your annuity prospectus for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund, a so-called disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes, does not expect to make regular distributions to shareholders (variable accounts). Federal income taxation of the variable account, life insurance company and annuity contract is discussed in your annuity contract prospectus.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
The Fund is sold exclusively as an underlying investment option of variable annuity contracts (products) offered by RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life). RiverSource Life may receive payments from affiliates for including the Fund as an investment option in the products. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing RiverSource Life’s decision regarding which funds to include in a product. Employees of RiverSource Life and their affiliates, including affiliated broker-dealers, may be separately incented to include the Fund in the product or, if included, recommend the sale of Fund shares, as employee compensation (directly or indirectly) and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. See the product prospectus for more information regarding these payments and allocations.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers use quantitative analysis to evaluate the relative attractiveness of potential investments.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) considers a variety of factors in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio which may include, among others, the following:
Valuation factors, such as earnings and cash flow relative to market values;
Catalyst factors, such as relative stock price performance, business momentum, and short interest measures; and
Quality factors, such as quality of earnings and financial strength.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when it believes other stocks in the Index or other investments are more attractive, if the security is believed to be overvalued relative to other potential investments, when the company no longer meets the Investment Manager’s performance expectation, when the security is removed from the Index, or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Quantitative Model Risk, Large-Cap Stock Risk, and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Although the Fund is managed based primarily on quantitative methods, a qualitative review of the quantitative output is conducted by the portfolio managers. Therefore, the Fund’s performance will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make active, qualitative decisions, including allocation decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. The Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which
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a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports.
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Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase
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activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its
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investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratio reflects the Fund’s fee arrangements, as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise is based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratio to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratio will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratio may be higher than the expense ratio presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, if assets fall. Any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratio that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (a) investment management fees, and (b) other expenses.
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FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) indefinitely, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rate of:
    
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
  0.40%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
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The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.40% of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Condon, CFA, CAIA*   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Quantitative Strategies   Co-Portfolio Manager   2010
Peter Albanese   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2014
Raghavendran Sivaraman, Ph.D., CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   December 2019
Mr. Condon joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1999. Mr. Condon began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.A. from Bryant University and an M.S. in finance from Bentley University.
Mr. Albanese joined the Investment Manager in August 2014. Mr. Albanese began his investment career in 1991 and earned a B.S. from Stony Brook University and an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University.
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Dr. Sivaraman joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2007.  Dr. Sivaraman began his investment career in 2007 and earned a B.Tech. in Computer Science Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a Ph.D. in Operations Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
* Brian Condon has announced that he plans to retire from the Investment Manager, on May 31, 2020. Until then, Mr. Condon will continue to serve as a Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Class
Share Class Features
    
Eligible Investors The Fund is available exclusively as an underlying investment option of variable annuity contracts offered by RiverSource Life Insurance Company
Investment Limits none  
Conversion Features none  
Front-End Sales Charges none  
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none  
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none  
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share. The Fund calculates the NAV per share at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
The Fund calculates its NAV as follows:
NAV =  (Value of assets) – (Liabilities)
Number of outstanding shares
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
Shareholder Information
Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners. When you sell your shares through your Contract, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies and may also be available to other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Additional Discussion of Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Funds Used Exclusively by Affiliated Insurance Companies
The Fund is sold exclusively as underlying investment options of the Contracts offered by RiverSource Life Insurance Company (the Company). The Investment Manager and its affiliates make or support payments out of their own resources to the Company as a result of the Company including the Fund as an investment option in the Contracts.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
These allocations may be significant. In addition, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of the Company, may be separately incented to include the Fund in the Contracts, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. These Contracts may also include unaffiliated mutual funds as investment options, and the Company receives payments from the sponsors of these unaffiliated mutual funds as a result of including these funds in the products. The amount of payment from sponsors of unaffiliated funds or allocation from the Investment Manager and its affiliates varies, and may be significant. The amount of the payment or allocation the Company receives from a Fund may create an incentive for the Company and may influence their decision regarding which funds to include in a Contract. Employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers, may be separately incented to recommend or sell shares of the Fund, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, may receive higher compensation and other benefits as investments in the Fund increase. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including Columbia Management, and the Distributor, and the products they offer, including the Fund. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing payments,” and are in addition to any Rule 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees or other amounts paid by the Fund for account maintenance, sub-accounting or recordkeeping services provided directly by the Company. See About Fund Shares and Transactions – Financial Intermediary Compensation for more information generally about financial intermediary compensation and the Contract prospectus for more information regarding these payments and allocations relating to your Contract.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract. Any charges that apply to your Contract, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies that may own shares directly, are described in your Contract prospectus.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. Because the Fund expects to be treated as a so-called disregarded entity for tax purposes, it is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund expects to be treated as a so-called disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A disregarded entity itself is not subject to U.S. federal income tax nor to any annual tax return filing requirements.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received from the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a so-called disregarded entity
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
    
  Year Ended December 31,
2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Per share data          
Net asset value, beginning of period $19.78 $20.45 $16.39 $15.12 $14.90
Income from investment operations:          
Net investment income 0.38 0.36 0.38 0.31 0.29
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 4.60 (1.03) 3.68 0.96 (0.07)
Total from investment operations 4.98 (0.67) 4.06 1.27 0.22
Net asset value, end of period $24.76 $19.78 $20.45 $16.39 $15.12
Total return 25.18% (3.28)% 24.77% 8.40% 1.48%
Ratios to average net assets          
Total gross expenses(a) 0.45% 0.44% 0.45% 0.45% 0.44%
Total net expenses(a), (b) 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40% 0.40%
Net investment income 1.67% 1.67% 2.08% 2.01% 1.89%
Supplemental data          
Portfolio turnover 66% 73% 66% 76% 78%
Net assets, end of period (in thousands) $196,278 $178,338 $211,730 $191,013 $199,667
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6347-99 AT (05/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund

  
The Fund may offer Class 1 and Class 2 shares to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Fund.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through current income and, secondarily, through capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.60% 0.60%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.16% 0.16%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.76% 1.01%
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $78 $243 $422 $942
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $103 $322 $558 $1,236
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 137% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in fixed income securities of emerging markets issuers. For these purposes, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on the Fund investment team’s qualitative judgments about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in fixed income securities of issuers that are located in emerging markets countries, or that earn 50% or more of their total revenues
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
from goods or services produced in emerging markets countries or from sales made in emerging markets countries.
Fixed income securities may be denominated in either U.S. dollars or the local currency of the issuer. While the Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country, it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single issuer. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas. The Fund can invest in emerging market sovereign debt instruments of any credit quality, including those rated investment grade and below investment grade or considered to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). Although the emerging markets sovereign debt universe largely consists of investment grade instruments, a significant portion of that universe is rated in these lower rating categories. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Emerging Market Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Sovereign Debt Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Credit RiskMarket Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to the risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. Increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist and similar measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.
Latin America Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Latin America region. These include risks of elevated and volatile interest, inflation and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations, exchange rate volatility and relatively high dependence upon commodities and international trade may also present additional risks for the Fund. Latin American economies may be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls, limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities, inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions,
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.61%
Worst

2nd Quarter 2013 -7.07%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 04/30/2012 12.35% 5.18% 4.01%
Class 2 04/30/2012 12.09% 4.91% 3.75%
JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond Index-Global (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   14.42% 5.88% 5.03%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tim Jagger   Head of Emerging Market Debt and Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2019
Christopher Cooke   Deputy Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts
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Summary of the Fund (continued)
or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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More Information About the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through current income and, secondarily, through capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund invests primarily in fixed income securities of emerging markets issuers. For these purposes, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on the Fund investment team’s qualitative judgments about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in fixed income securities of issuers that are located in emerging markets countries, or that earn 50% or more of their total revenues from goods or services produced in emerging markets countries or from sales made in emerging markets countries.
Fixed income securities may be denominated in either U.S. dollars or the local currency of the issuer. While the Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country, it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single issuer. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas. The Fund can invest in emerging market sovereign debt instruments of any credit quality, including those rated investment grade and below investment grade or considered to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). Although the emerging markets sovereign debt universe largely consists of investment grade instruments, a significant portion of that universe is rated in these lower rating categories. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. A bond is issued with a specific maturity date, which is the date when the issuer must pay back the bond’s principal (face value). Bond maturities range from less than 1 year to more than 30 years. Typically, the longer a bond’s maturity, the more price risk the Fund and the Fund’s investors face as interest rates rise, but the Fund could receive a higher yield in return for that longer maturity and higher interest rate risk.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) chooses investments by:
Analyzing the creditworthiness of emerging market countries;
Seeking to evaluate the best relative value opportunities among emerging market countries, by comparing sovereign debt spreads to fundamental creditworthiness and comparing the recent sovereign debt spread relationships among countries to historic relationships; and
Seeking to identify emerging markets bonds that can take advantage of attractive local interest rates and provide exposure to undervalued currencies.
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors, whether in its view:
The security is overvalued;
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The security has new credit risks; or
The security continues to meet the standards described above.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Emerging Market Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Sovereign Debt Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Credit RiskMarket Risk, and Changing Distribution Level Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of debt instruments may decline if the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated instruments. Non-investment grade debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated instruments, or if the ratings of instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual.
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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). The effectiveness of any currency strategy by a Fund may be reduced by the Fund's inability to precisely match forward
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  contract amounts and the value of securities involved. Forward foreign currency contracts used for hedging may also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase or decrease in the value of the currency. Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to
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  bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations
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in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than typical emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. The increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in frontier market countries are even more likely than emerging markets securities to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. A number of countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact that country, other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified in a region with more developed countries and economies. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Continued growth of economies and securities markets in the region will require sustained economic and fiscal discipline, as well as continued commitment to governmental and regulatory reforms. Development also may be influenced by international economic conditions, including those in the United States and Japan, and by world demand for goods or natural resources produced in countries in the Asia Pacific region. Securities markets in the region are generally smaller and have a lower trading volume than those in the United States, which may result in the securities of some companies in the region being less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities. Some currencies, inflation rates or interest rates in the Asia Pacific region are or can be volatile, and some countries in the region may restrict the flow of money in and out of the country. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk” and  “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
Latin America Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Latin America region. The economies of many Latin American countries have experienced elevated and volatile interest rates, inflation rates and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations and exchange rate volatility have also been common among Latin American economies. Relatively high dependence upon commodities, such as petroleum, minerals, metals and agricultural products, amongst others, may cause certain Latin American economies to be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. International economic conditions, trade arrangements and flow of international capital may have significant impact on Latin American economies due to their relatively heavy reliance upon
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international trade. Latin American economies may also be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls which may negatively impact economic growth. Limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities from Latin American countries could adversely affect the Fund. Other risks associated with investments in Latin American economies may include inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk” and  “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk.
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The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and
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economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debtholders. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
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Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
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Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
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Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
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Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Class 1 0.83%
Class 2 1.08%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
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Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. From time to time, the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) may engage its Participating Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Fund. These Participating Affiliates will provide services to these accounts of the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Fund, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Fund will pay
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no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Participating Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions and, where required, the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of these Participating Affiliates may serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in this prospectus and the Fund's SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures, may provide such services to the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.60% of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Tim Jagger   Head of Emerging Market Debt and Senior Portfolio Manager   Lead Portfolio Manager   2019
Christopher Cooke   Deputy Portfolio Manager   Portfolio Manager   2017
Mr. Jagger joined Threadneedle, a Participating Affiliate, in 2017 as a Director in Threadneedle's Singapore office and was elevated to his current role as Head of Emerging Market Debt in Threadneedle's London office in 2018. Prior to joining Threadneedle, Mr. Jagger was a Senior Portfolio Manager, Asian Credit, and the lead manager for Asian High Yield funds at Aviva Investors from 2012 through 2016. Mr. Jagger began his investment career in 1992 and earned a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland).
Mr. Cooke joined Threadneedle, a Participating Affiliate, in 2008. Prior to becoming Deputy Portfolio Manager in 2017, Mr. Cooke served as a portfolio analyst since 2013 and, prior to that, served as a graduate trainee and business analyst. Mr. Cooke began his investment career in 2008 and earned a BSc in computer science and artificial intelligence from the Aberystwyth University (Wales).
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its
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services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
    
Declaration and Distribution Schedule
Declarations Quarterly
Distributions Quarterly
The Fund may declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.
Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the NAV per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions to be paid in cash.
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund intends to qualify and to be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in fund-level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income. These benefits, which
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received from the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts.
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
investment
income
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.01 0.50 0.60 1.10 (0.49) (0.49)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.15 0.53 (1.23) (0.70) (0.44) (0.44)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.50 0.59 0.52 1.11 (0.46) (0.46)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.77 0.55 0.43 0.98 (0.25) (0.25)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.01 0.52 (0.61) (0.09) (0.15) (0.15)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.00 0.47 0.61 1.08 (0.47) (0.47)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.15 0.51 (1.25) (0.74) (0.41) (0.41)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $9.49 0.57 0.52 1.09 (0.43) (0.43)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $8.76 0.53 0.43 0.96 (0.23) (0.23)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $9.02 0.49 (0.60) (0.11) (0.15) (0.15)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interest on collateral expense which is less than 0.01%.
40 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.62 12.35% 0.76% 0.76% 5.21% 137% $117,692
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.01 (7.04%) 0.76% (c) 0.76% (c) 5.53% 64% $103,590
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.15 11.85% 0.75% 0.75% 5.88% 42% $110,275
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.50 11.34% 0.75% 0.75% 5.92% 26% $98,824
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.77 (1.03%) 0.75% 0.75% 5.77% 64% $87,659
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.61 12.09% 1.01% 1.01% 4.94% 137% $203,064
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.00 (7.38%) 1.02% (c) 1.02% (c) 5.32% 64% $121,570
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.15 11.69% 1.01% 1.01% 5.70% 42% $94,637
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $9.49 11.07% 1.01% 1.01% 5.63% 26% $40,731
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $8.76 (1.31%) 1.01% 1.01% 5.49% 64% $16,653
  
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
S-6536-99 AT (05/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund

  
The Fund may offer Class 1 and Class 2 shares to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Fund.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.73% 0.73%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.01% 0.01%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 0.74% 0.99%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(a) (0.05%) (0.05%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.69% 0.94%
(a) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.69% for Class 1 and 0.94% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $70 $232 $407 $914
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $96 $310 $542 $1,208
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 59% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, in the range of companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $1.5 billion to $1,199.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund normally invests in common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and rights and may invest in exchange-traded funds. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 45 and 65 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as options, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
4 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
Prospectus 2020 5

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and are subject to liquidity risk which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 12.84%
Worst

3rd Quarter 2019 0.00%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 01/04/2018 27.99% 9.09%
Class 2 01/04/2018 27.62% 8.82%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 11.13%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Peter Santoro, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Melda Mergen, CFA, CAIA   Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director and Deputy Global Head of Equities   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Tiffany Wade   Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, in the range of companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $1.5 billion to $1,199.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a security even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund normally invests in common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and rights and may invest in exchange-traded funds. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 45 and 65 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as options, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.
In selecting investments, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) employs fundamental analysis with risk management in identifying investment opportunities and constructing the Fund’s portfolio. The Investment Manager considers, among other factors:
overall economic and market conditions; and
the financial condition and management of a company, including its competitive position, the quality of its balance sheet and earnings, its future prospects, and the potential for growth and stock price appreciation.
The Investment Manager may sell a security when the security’s price reaches a target set by the Investment Manager; if the Investment Manager believes that there is deterioration in the issuer’s financial circumstances or fundamental prospects; if other investments are more attractive; or for other reasons.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Large-Cap Stock Risk, Market Risk, and Focused Portfolio Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
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Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure,
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expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude,
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duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the information technology sector. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants may be acquired separately or in connection with the acquisition of securities. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and subject the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Rights are typically short-term instruments that are valued separately and trade in the secondary market during a subscription (or offering) period. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
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Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
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Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
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Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
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Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Class 1 0.69%
Class 2 0.94%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
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Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates and any predecessor firms that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint affiliated and unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.73% of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Peter Santoro, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Melda Mergen, CFA, CAIA   Senior Portfolio Manager, Managing Director and Deputy Global Head of Equities   Co-Portfolio Manager   2018
Tiffany Wade   Portfolio Manager   Co-Portfolio Manager   November 2019
Mr. Santoro joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2003. Mr. Santoro began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.A. from Amherst College.
Ms. Mergen joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1999. Ms. Mergen began her investment career in 1999 and earned a B.A. from Bogazici University and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Ms. Wade joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2010. Ms. Wade began her investment career in 2008 and earned a B.A. in economics from Brown University.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
In the case of the Fund, because the Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, it is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund were not to qualify for such treatment, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would reduce the value of an investment in the Fund.
As a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” the Fund is generally not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of the Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Fund. In addition, unlike mutual funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in the Fund such requirements will be taken into account by the Fund.
Investments in the Fund may be indirectly subject to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest or capital gains. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries the Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income, which benefits may be greater with respect to the Fund than if the Fund were treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received by the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in
28 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership.”
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 31

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.29 0.13 2.47 2.60
Year Ended 12/31/2018(c) $10.00 0.13 (0.84) (0.71)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.27 0.10 2.46 2.56
Year Ended 12/31/2018(c) $10.00 0.09 (0.82) (0.73)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) The Fund commenced operations on January 4, 2018. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.89 27.99% 0.74% 0.69% 1.25% 59% $1,347,827
Year Ended 12/31/2018(c) $9.29 (7.10%) 0.75% (d) 0.69% (d) 1.27% (d) 58% $1,070,480
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.83 27.62% 0.97% 0.94% 0.97% 59% $3
Year Ended 12/31/2018(c) $9.27 (7.30%) 0.97% (d) 0.94% (d) 0.84% (d) 58% $2
  
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
C-2035-99 AT (5/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund

  
The Fund may offer Class 1 and Class 2 shares to separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and other qualified institutional investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Fund.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract or Qualified Plan, which are disclosed in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.92% 0.92%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses(a) 0.25% 0.25%
Total annual Fund operating expenses 1.17% 1.42%
Less: Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements(b) (0.18%) (0.18%)
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements 0.99% 1.24%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses (excluding transaction costs and certain other investment related expenses, interest, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Under this agreement, the Fund’s net operating expenses, subject to applicable exclusions, will not exceed the annual rates of 0.99% for Class 1 and 1.24% for Class 2.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the applicable class of Fund shares for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $101 $354 $626 $1,404
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $126 $432 $759 $1,686
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 56% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund generally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies with business operations in technology and technology-related industries. For these purposes, technology-related companies are those companies that use technology extensively to improve their business processes and applications. The technology industry comprises information technology and communications, as well as medical, environmental and biotechnology. The Fund may invest in securities of companies domiciled in any country believed to be appropriate to the Fund’s objective. The Fund generally invests in several countries in different geographic regions.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests at least 40% of its net assets in companies that maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S.
The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that may result in the Fund investing less than 30% of its net assets in companies outside the U.S. in an effort to minimize extreme volatility caused by adverse market, economic, political or other conditions.
The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size. Securities of large capitalization companies that are well established in the world technology market can be expected to grow with the market and are frequently held by the Fund. However, rapidly changing technologies and expansion of technology and technology-related industries often provide a favorable environment for companies of small-to-medium size capitalization, and the Fund may invest in these companies as well.
The Fund may invest in all types of securities, many of which will be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Fund normally concentrates its investments in common stocks; however, it may invest in other types of equity securities, including securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock, depositary receipts, and rights and warrants to purchase common stock. The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its assets in preferred stock and investment-grade or comparable quality debt securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Sector RiskForeign Securities Risk and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures,
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude,
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance.
Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract or Qualified Plan and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Summary of the Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 22.96%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -15.52%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years 10 Years
Class 1 05/01/1996 55.31% 20.44% 16.66%
Class 2 05/01/2000 54.97% 20.13% 16.35%
MSCI World Information Technology Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   47.55% 18.33% 15.52%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Paul Wick   Lead Portfolio Manager   2006
Shekhar Pramanick   Portfolio Manager   2014
Sanjay Devgan   Technology Team Member   2014
Jeetil Patel   Technology Team Member   2015
Christopher Boova   Technology Team Member   2016
Vimal Patel   Technology Team Member   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans. If you are a Contract holder or Qualified Plan participant, please refer to your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund normally distributes its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, to its shareholders, which are generally the participating insurance companies and Qualified Plans investing in the Fund through separate accounts. These distributions may not be taxable to you as the holder of a Contract or a participant in a Qualified Plan. Please consult the prospectus or other information provided to you by your participating insurance company and/or Qualified Plan regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your contract, policy and/or plan.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Summary of the Fund (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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More Information About the Fund
Investment Objective
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation. Only shareholders can change the Fund’s investment objective. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund generally invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies with business operations in technology and technology-related industries. For these purposes, technology-related companies are those companies that use technology extensively to improve their business processes and applications. The technology industry comprises information technology and communications, as well as medical, environmental and biotechnology. The Fund may invest in securities of companies domiciled in any country believed to be appropriate to the Fund’s objective. The Fund generally invests in several countries in different geographic regions.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests at least 40% of its net assets in companies that maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S.
The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that may result in the Fund investing less than 30% of its net assets in companies outside the U.S. in an effort to minimize extreme volatility caused by adverse market, economic, political or other conditions.
The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size. Securities of large capitalization companies that are well established in the world technology market can be expected to grow with the market and are frequently held by the Fund. However, rapidly changing technologies and expansion of technology and technology-related industries often provide a favorable environment for companies of small-to-medium size capitalization, and the Fund may invest in these companies as well.
The Fund may invest in all types of securities, many of which will be denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Fund normally concentrates its investments in common stocks; however, it may invest in other types of equity securities, including securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock, depositary receipts, and rights and warrants to purchase common stock. The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its assets in preferred stock and investment-grade or comparable quality debt securities.
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) seeks to identify those technology companies that it believes have the greatest prospects for future growth, regardless of their countries of origin. The Fund uses an investment style that combines research into individual company attractiveness with macro analysis. This means that the Investment Manager uses extensive in-depth research to identify attractive technology companies around the world, while seeking to identify particularly strong technology sectors and/or factors within regions or specific countries that may affect investment opportunities.
In selecting individual securities, the Investment Manager looks for companies that it believes display one or more of the following:
Above-average growth prospects;
High profit margins;
Attractive valuations relative to earnings forecasts or other valuation criteria (e.g., return on equity);
Quality management and equity ownership by executives;
Unique competitive advantages (e.g., market share, proprietary products); or
Potential for improvement in overall operations.
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More Information About the Fund (continued)
In evaluating whether to sell a security, the Investment Manager considers, among other factors, whether in its view:
Its target price has been reached;
Its earnings are disappointing;
Its revenue growth has slowed;
Its underlying fundamentals have deteriorated; or
If the Investment Manager believes that negative country or regional factors may affect a company’s outlook.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Sector RiskForeign Securities Risk and Market Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or
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More Information About the Fund (continued)
that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
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More Information About the Fund (continued)
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
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More Information About the Fund (continued)
affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors, including the technology and technology-related sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
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More Information About the Fund (continued)
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
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Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
The Fund may lend portfolio securities to broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries on a fully collateralized basis in order to earn additional income. The Fund may lose money from securities lending if, for example, it is delayed in or prevented from selling the collateral after the loan is made or recovering the securities loaned or if it incurs losses on the reinvestment of cash collateral.
The Fund currently does not participate in the securities lending program but the Board of Trustees (the Board) may determine to renew participation in the future. For more information on lending of portfolio securities and the risks involved, see the SAI and the annual and semiannual reports to shareholders.
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Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, may vary by share class and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. Generally, these expenses are allocated on a pro rata basis across all share classes. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Seligman Global Technology Fund
Class 1 0.99%
Class 2 1.24%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), expenses associated with investment in affiliated and non-affiliated pooled investment vehicles (including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to 0.915% of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Paul Wick   Lead Portfolio Manager   2006
Shekhar Pramanick   Portfolio Manager   2014
Sanjay Devgan   Technology Team Member   2014
Jeetil Patel   Technology Team Member   2015
Christopher Boova   Technology Team Member   2016
Vimal Patel   Technology Team Member   2018
Mr. Wick joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1987. Mr. Wick is Team Leader and Portfolio Manager for Technology. Mr. Wick began his investment career in 1987 and earned a B.A. from Duke and an M.B.A. from Duke/Fuqua.
Dr. Pramanick joined the Investment Manager in 2012. Dr. Pramanick began his investment career in 1993 and earned a B.S. from the National Institute of Technology, an M.S. from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
Mr. Devgan joined the Investment Manager in 2012. Mr. Devgan began his investment career in 1995 and earned a B.S. from University of California and an M.B.A. from Santa Clara University.
Mr. Patel joined the Investment Manager in 2012. Mr. Patel began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles.
Mr. Boova joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2000. Mr. Boova began his investment career in 1995 and earned two B.S. degrees from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, an M.A. from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Patel joined the Investment Manager in 2014. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Patel was Vice President at Bertram Capital covering technology and business services from 2010 to 2014. Mr. Patel began his investment career in 2001 and earned a B.S. from North Carolina State University, an M.S. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
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Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
More Information About the Fund (continued)
of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract, qualified pension or retirement plan sponsors or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share for a given share class. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time.
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Shareholder Information
Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. Your product may not offer every share class. The Fund encourages you to consult with a financial advisor who can help you with your investment decisions and for more information about the share classes offered by the Fund and available under your product. Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts and Qualified Plan sponsors.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners or participants in a Qualified Plan. When you sell your shares through your Contract or Qualified Plan, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract, participant in a Qualified Plan or qualified institutional investor who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or Qualified Plan or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts or the Qualified Plan.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase only through Contracts offered by participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners, and the interests of Qualified Plan participants, if any, may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract or Qualified Plan. Any charges that apply to your Contract or Qualified Plan, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies or Qualified Plans that may own shares directly, are described in your separate Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract or Qualified Plan. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable, for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
Prospectus 2020 27

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
28 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
About Fund Shares and Transactions (continued)
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
Prospectus 2020 29

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Mutual funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
    
Declaration and Distribution Schedule
Declarations Annually
Distributions Annually
The Fund may declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.
Different share classes of the Fund usually pay different net investment income distribution amounts, because each class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the NAV per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
The Fund will automatically reinvest distributions in additional shares of the same share class of the Fund unless you inform us you want to receive your distributions to be paid in cash.
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund intends to qualify and to be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in fund-level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, Qualified Plans, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income. These benefits, which
30 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received from the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts.
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Financial Highlights
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and/or Qualified Plan, as applicable; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 33

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Distributions
from net
realized
gains
Total
distributions to
shareholders
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $17.78 0.02 9.00 9.02 (3.44) (3.44)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $21.56 0.01 (1.47) (1.46) (2.32) (2.32)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.67 (0.03) 6.79 6.76 (6.87) (6.87)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $27.97 (0.04) 3.55 3.51 (9.81) (9.81)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $29.99 (0.01) 3.00 2.99 (5.01) (5.01)
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $16.33 (0.03) 8.20 8.17 (3.38) (3.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $19.99 (0.04) (1.35) (1.39) (2.27) (2.27)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $20.50 (0.08) 6.38 6.30 (6.81) (6.81)
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $26.98 (0.12) 3.38 3.26 (9.74) (9.74)
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $29.10 (0.08) 2.91 2.83 (4.95) (4.95)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Ratios include interfund lending expense which is less than 0.01%.
(d) Ratios include line of credit interest expense which is less than 0.01%.
34 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Financial Highlights (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $23.36 55.31% 1.18% (c) 0.97% (c) 0.09% 56% $44,565
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $17.78 (8.15%) 1.09% (c), (d) 1.03% (c), (d) 0.05% 44% $32,129
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $21.56 35.21% 1.15% (d) 1.02% (d) (0.16%) 60% $38,879
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $21.67 19.35% 1.26% 0.98% (0.17%) 62% $31,083
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $27.97 10.11% 1.20% 0.98% (0.05%) 65% $28,698
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $21.12 54.97% 1.43% (c) 1.21% (c) (0.15%) 56% $57,023
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $16.33 (8.45%) 1.33% (c), (d) 1.28% (c), (d) (0.22%) 44% $33,975
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $19.99 34.92% 1.40% (d) 1.27% (d) (0.39%) 60% $46,688
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $20.50 19.01% 1.47% 1.23% (0.49%) 62% $27,838
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $26.98 9.81% 1.45% 1.23% (0.30%) 65% $83,566
  
Prospectus 2020 35

 

Table of Contents
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Fund is generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies and participants in Qualified Plans. Please refer to your Contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Fund
Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Fund as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
The Fund’s offering documents and shareholder reports are not available on the Columbia Funds’ website because they are generally available only through participating insurance companies or retirement plans.
The website references in this prospectus are inactive links and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the referenced websites does not form a part of this prospectus.
Reports and other information about the Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, of which the Fund is a series, is 811-22127.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
SL-9916-99 AT (05/20)
Prospectus
May 1, 2020
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund

  
Each above named Fund offers Class 1 and Class 2 shares to separate accounts consisting of subaccounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated life insurance companies authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.
As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents
SUMMARIES OF THE FUNDS
Investment Objective, Fees and Expenses of the Fund, Principal Investment Strategies, Principal Risks, Performance Information, Fund Management, Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Tax Information, Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
 

4

18

31

45

59

73

87

100

113

126

141

155

170

185

200

215

229

243

257

257

261

264

265

266

266

266

267

269

274

274

274

277

281

285

289

293

297

301

305

309
2 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Table of Contents (continued)

A-1

B-1
Prospectus 2020 3

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.13% 0.13%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses(a) 0.11% 0.11%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.55% 0.55%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b) 0.79% 1.04%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $81 $252 $439 $978
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $106 $331 $574 $1,271
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 37% of the average value of its portfolio.
4 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that can vary based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical market volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past) and, under certain circumstances, anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 55% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020, the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 32.19% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 55% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Prospectus 2020 5

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past, and under certain circumstances, on anticipated volatility, which can be an indicator of how equity markets perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 75% to 95% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 5% to 25% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
(i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks,
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as three additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.72%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -7.61%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 16.37% 6.06%
Class 2 09/12/2017 16.06% 5.94%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   18.41% 7.43%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.74%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 13.50%
MSCI EAFE Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   22.01% 4.25%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2017
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2017
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2017
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.12% 0.12%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses(a) 0.12% 0.12%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.53% 0.53%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b) 0.77% 1.02%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Since the waivers and/or reimbursements shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above expire as indicated in the preceding table, they are only reflected in the 1 year example and the first year of the other examples. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $79 $246 $428 $954
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $104 $325 $563 $1,248
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 24% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that can vary based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical market volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past) and, under certain circumstances, anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 55% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020, the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 27.46% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 55% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past, and under certain circumstances, on anticipated volatility, which can be an indicator of how equity markets perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 50% S&P 500 Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 75% to 95% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 5% to 25% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund’s performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 8.02%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -7.68%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 18.63% 8.17%
Class 2 09/12/2017 18.32% 8.05%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 50% S&P 500 Index) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   19.89% 9.08%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.74%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 14.08%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2017
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2017
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2017
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.23% 0.23%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses(a) 0.08% 0.08%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.40% 0.40%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b) 0.71% 0.96%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $73 $227 $395 $883
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $98 $306 $531 $1,178
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 139% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 30% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 14.22% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 23% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 23% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 23% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 30% while maintaining a 23% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 80% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 14% Russell 3000 Index and 6% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
(i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks,
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as one additional measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 4.94%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -2.50%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 12.19% 3.74% 3.63%
Class 2 04/12/2013 11.91% 3.69% 3.60%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 80% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 14% Russell 3000 Index and 6% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   12.57% 4.46% 4.41%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 2.73%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.22% 0.22%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.45% 0.45%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.74% 0.99%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $76 $237 $411 $918
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $101 $315 $547 $1,213
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 137% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 50% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 24.90% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 40% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 40% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 40% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 50% while maintaining a 40% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 24% Russell 3000 Index and 11% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity
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(i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market
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exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks,
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savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as one additional measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 6.36%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -5.22%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 14.34% 4.27% 4.54%
Class 2 04/12/2013 14.00% 4.20% 4.50%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 24% Russell 3000 Index and 11% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes)   15.44% 5.46% 5.61%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 2.73%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.18% 0.18%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.06% 0.06%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.53% 0.53%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.77% 1.02%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $79 $246 $428 $954
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $104 $325 $563 $1,248
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 128% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 90% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 46.76% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 75% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 75% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 75% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 90% while maintaining a 75% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 46% Russell 3000 Index, 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 19% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
(i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks,
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as one additional measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 9.25%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -10.60%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 18.52% 5.12% 6.21%
Class 2 04/12/2013 18.26% 5.07% 6.18%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 46% Russell 3000 Index, 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 19% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   21.40% 7.49% 8.10%
Russell 3000 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.02% 11.24% 13.06%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.17% 0.17%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.49% 0.49%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.73% 0.98%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $75 $233 $406 $906
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $100 $312 $542 $1,201
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 138% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 70% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 35.88% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 70% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
(i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks,
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as one additional measure of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.78%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -7.93%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year 5 Years Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 16.41% 4.79% 5.90%
Class 2 04/19/2012 16.17% 4.74% 5.87%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net)) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes on the MSCI EAFE Index portion of the Blended Benchmark, and for all indexes reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   18.41% 6.49% 7.40%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05% 2.85%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2014
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2015
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.23% 0.23%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses(a) 0.09% 0.09%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.39% 0.39%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(b) 0.71% 0.96%
(a) Other expenses have been restated to reflect current fees paid by the Fund.
(b) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $73 $227 $395 $883
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $98 $306 $531 $1,178
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 156% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 50% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 12.88% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 40% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 40% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 40% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 50% while maintaining a 40% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 35% S&P 500 Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions
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by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund
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performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 6.29%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -4.94%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 15.13% 7.66%
Class 2 11/02/2016 14.86% 7.58%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 35% S&P 500 Index) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   16.49% 7.94%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 16.97%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2016
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.22% 0.22%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.07% 0.07%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.42% 0.42%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.71% 0.96%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $73 $227 $395 $883
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $98 $306 $531 $1,178
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 132% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 90% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 24.09% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 75% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 75% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 75% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 90% while maintaining a 75% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% S&P 500 Index and 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 8.83%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -9.59%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 20.55% 11.73%
Class 2 11/02/2016 20.20% 11.63%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 65% S&P 500 Index and 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   23.33% 12.13%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 16.97%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2016
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay as an investor in the Fund. The table does not reflect any fees or expenses imposed by your Contract, which are disclosed in your Contract prospectus. If the additional fees or expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
    
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
  Class 1 Class 2
Management fees 0.22% 0.22%
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees 0.00% 0.25%
Other expenses 0.08% 0.08%
Acquired fund fees and expenses 0.40% 0.40%
Total annual Fund operating expenses(a) 0.70% 0.95%
(a) “Total annual Fund operating expenses” include acquired fund fees and expenses (expenses the Fund incurs indirectly through its investments in other investment companies) and may be higher than the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus because the ratio of expenses to average net assets does not include acquired fund fees and expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated, and assumes that:
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
The example does not reflect any fees and expenses that apply to your Contract. Inclusion of these charges would increase expenses for all periods shown.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
    
  1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class 1 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $72 $224 $390 $871
Class 2 (whether or not shares are redeemed) $97 $303 $525 $1,166
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund and underlying funds (including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when they buy and sell securities (or “turn over” their portfolios). The Fund will indirectly bear the expenses associated with portfolio turnover of the underlying funds. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 125% of the average value of its portfolio.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 70% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 18.41% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 70% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% S&P 500 Index and 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Appendix A includes the list of the Underlying Funds available to the Fund, as well as a description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. Columbia Management may add new or remove existing Underlying Funds at any time without the approval of shareholders. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s
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risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions
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by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objective. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The Fund is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
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High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments
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or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
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Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund
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performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Summary of Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s Class 2 share performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a blended benchmark that is intended to provide a measure of the Fund's performance given its investment strategy, as well as two additional measures of performance for markets in which the Fund may invest.
The performance of one or more share classes shown in the table below begins before the indicated inception date for such share class. The returns shown for each such share class include the returns of the Fund’s Class 2 shares for periods prior to its inception date. Except for differences in annual returns resulting from differences in expenses (where applicable), the share classes of the Fund would have substantially similar annual returns because all share classes of the Fund invest in the same portfolio of securities.
The returns shown do not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract and would be lower if they did.
The Fund’s past performance is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.345.6611 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
    
Year by Year Total Return (%)
as of December 31 Each Year
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns
During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart

Best 1st Quarter 2019 7.56%
Worst

4th Quarter 2018 -7.25%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2019)
  Share Class
Inception Date
1 Year Life of Fund
Class 1 02/20/2019 17.84% 9.72%
Class 2 11/02/2016 17.57% 9.65%
Blended Benchmark (consisting of 50% S&P 500 Index and 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index) (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   19.89% 10.04%
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   8.72% 3.05%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)   31.49% 16.97%
  
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
Brian Virginia   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments   Lead Portfolio Manager   2016
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D.   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy   Portfolio Manager   2016
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Portfolio Manager   Title   Role with Fund   Managed Fund Since
David Weiss, CFA   Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management   Portfolio Manager   2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA   Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation   Portfolio Manager   2018
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies or by other eligible investors authorized by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor). Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts. If you are a Contract holder, please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about minimum investment requirements and how to purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on days the Fund is open for business.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders which are generally the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts or certain other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you make allocations to the Fund, the Fund, its Distributor or other related companies may pay participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries for the allocation (sale) of Fund shares and related services in connection with such allocations to the Fund. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the participating insurance company, other financial intermediary or your salesperson to recommend an allocation to the Fund over another fund or other investment option. Ask your financial advisor or salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that can vary based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical market volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past) and, under certain circumstances, anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 55% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020, the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 32.19% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 55% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past, and under certain circumstances, on anticipated volatility, which can be an indicator of how equity markets perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 75% to 95% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 5% to 25% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP®– T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio– Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price
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(liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a
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  credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about
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foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the
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Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In
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general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of
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the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund
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(i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads
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narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal
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Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains.
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that can vary based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical market volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past) and, under certain circumstances, anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 55% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020, the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 27.46% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 55% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past, and under certain circumstances, on anticipated volatility, which can be an indicator of how equity markets perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 50% S&P 500 Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 75% to 95% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 5% to 25% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
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Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or
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instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the
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amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option,
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the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s
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ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment
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performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
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Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively
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affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in
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and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market
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conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to
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participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains.
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 30% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 14.22% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 23% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 23% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 23% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 30% while maintaining a 23% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 80% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 14% Russell 3000 Index and 6% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
    
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Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP®– T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio– Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or
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perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
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Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect
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  performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign
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country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the
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expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to
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the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing
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illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net
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assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
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Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
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Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 50% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 24.90% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 40% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 40% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 40% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 50% while maintaining a 40% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 24% Russell 3000 Index and 11% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
    
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Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP®– T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio– Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be
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influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a
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  credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about
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foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the
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Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In
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general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of
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the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund
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(i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads
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narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal
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Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 90% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 46.76% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 75% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 75% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 75% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 90% while maintaining a 75% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 46% Russell 3000 Index, 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 19% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
    
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Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP®– T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio– Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be
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influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a
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  credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about
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foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the
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Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In
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general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of
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the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund
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(i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads
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narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal
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Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice.
Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating its assets across equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on anticipated volatility, to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 70% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 35.88% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 70% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on anticipated volatility, which Columbia Management believes is an early indicator of how equity markets may perform. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, 35% Russell 3000 Index and 15% MSCI EAFE Index (Net).
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend), market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap) and geographic focus (e.g., domestic and international, including emerging markets), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments,  sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and international bonds, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency futures, equity futures, index futures and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, sovereign debt, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, international bonds and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
    
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Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP®– T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - AQR International Core Equity Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - William Blair International Leaders Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® - DFA International Value Fund), Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio– Emerging Markets Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio– Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
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Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be
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influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same
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protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a
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  credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about
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foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the
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Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In
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general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of
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the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund
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(i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads
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narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt-holders.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal
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Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all four funds in the Managed Volatility series, with the Conservative Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice.
Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 50% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 12.88% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 40% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 40% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 40% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 50% while maintaining a 40% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and 35% S&P 500 Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
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Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt
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instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced.
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A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell
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the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both
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their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory
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restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to
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cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
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Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
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Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market
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conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to
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participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 90% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 24.09% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 75% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 75% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 75% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 90% while maintaining a 75% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 65% S&P 500 Index and 35% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
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Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt
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instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced.
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A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell
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the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both
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their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory
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restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to
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cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
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Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
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Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market
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conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to
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participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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More Information About Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
Investment Objective
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (the Fund) pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund pursues its investment objective by allocating at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) across U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes while targeting a particular level of effective equity market exposure (described below) that varies based on volatility in the equity market. The Fund's investments are deemed to be "U.S." based primarily on the issuer's place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer's domicile, the location of its principal place of business or principal office, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of a majority of its revenue or profits, or the location of a majority of its assets.  The Fund takes into consideration investments in affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and ETFs in connection with its 80% investment policy.   The Fund invests in a mix of affiliated mutual funds (Underlying Funds) and, in seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility, the Fund employs a tactical allocation strategy utilizing:
derivative transactions, including forward contracts, futures, options and swaps;
direct investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); and
direct investments in fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Collectively, these assets are referred to as the Tactical Assets (which are described below under “Tactical Allocation”).
Effective Equity Market Exposure
The Fund’s “effective equity market exposure” (or EEME) reflects the amount of Fund assets exposed to the equity market, with such exposure fluctuating based on market volatility. The Fund’s EEME includes exposure to equity markets through the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds and Tactical Assets, adjusted based on historical volatility (the actual market volatility experienced in recent past), to reflect the degree to which the Fund’s holdings are expected to move in tandem with equity markets (beta) based solely on the views of the Fund’s investment manager. Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s targeted EEME may range from 0% to 70% of its net assets. Within this range, the Fund’s targeted and actual EEME is subject to change, including on a daily basis. At March 31, 2020 the Fund’s actual EEME was approximately 18.41% of its net assets.
The Fund invests in Underlying Funds focused on equity investments (Equity Underlying Funds) and Underlying Funds focused on fixed-income/debt investments (Fixed-Income Underlying Funds) to gain exposure to U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes, respectively. If the Fund invests, for example, 50% of its net assets in Equity Underlying Funds (and has no EEME through its Tactical Assets), the Fund will have 50% of its net assets exposed to the equity market and an EEME of 50% of its net assets. Using the same example, the Fund could employ its Tactical Assets to increase the Fund’s EEME to a maximum of 70% while maintaining a 50% allocation to Equity Underlying Funds. The Fund may invest significantly in any individual Underlying Fund(s).
As discussed in the above example, the Tactical Assets are primarily utilized to adjust (increase or reduce) the Fund’s exposure to equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and various segments within these asset classes (i.e., the Tactical Assets are used to adjust the Fund’s EEME). Derivatives instruments may also be used to facilitate the Fund’s management of cash inflows/outflows. At times (e.g., when there are significant cash inflows or anticipated inflows), such additional derivatives use could cause the Fund’s assets to be invested outside the ranges described below for Fund investments in Tactical Assets (and, in turn, the Underlying Funds).
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In general, when the Fund’s investment manager, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager), determines that equity market volatility is relatively low, the Investment Manager may increase the Fund’s EEME and decrease the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, if it determines that volatility in the equity market is relatively high, it may reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) the Fund’s EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure.
Investment Process
Columbia Management uses the following two-part investment process that, together, pursues total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility:
Selects and determines allocations to the Underlying Funds (referred to as the Strategic Allocation); and
Invests in and determines allocations to the Tactical Assets to adjust desired asset class exposures (referred to as the Tactical Allocation).
Columbia Management makes adjustments to the Fund’s investment exposure based on historical volatility, the actual market volatility experienced in the recent past. Volatility refers to the ups and downs in the market and can run in cycles of several months or even years.
The Fund uses an investment strategy based on a variable model derived from its blended benchmark which consists of 50% S&P 500 Index and 50% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index.
Strategic Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 40% to 90% of its net assets in Underlying Funds managed by Columbia Management, including those for which Columbia Management provides day-to-day portfolio management and those for which day-to-day portfolio management is provided by investment subadvisers hired by Columbia Management. Of the assets allocated to the Underlying Funds, the Fund may invest up to 100% of those assets in Equity Underlying Funds or Fixed-Income Underlying Funds (or some combination of the two).
The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds across various sectors and industries within the U.S. equity and fixed-income/debt asset classes and markets, including Underlying Funds that invest in securities of different investment strategies and styles (e.g., growth, value and core/blend) and market capitalizations (e.g., large, mid and small cap), as well as those that invest in real estate securities and fixed-income or debt instruments, including investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS and mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures. The Fund may invest, directly and/or indirectly through Underlying Funds, in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest in below investment grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Underlying Fund selections and allocations are reviewed periodically by Columbia Management. Changes to Underlying Fund selections and allocations may be driven by various factors, including the risks and potential benefits of investing in a particular Underlying Fund as a means of achieving total return. During times of relatively high equity market volatility as determined by Columbia Management, Columbia Management may reduce or eliminate entirely the Fund’s allocation to Equity Underlying Funds and may alter Underlying Fund selections and allocations with more frequency in seeking to achieve desired levels of EEME.
Columbia Management also considers the independent analysis of an independent investment consultant with respect to the performance of the Underlying Funds, the types of investment categories represented by the Underlying Funds, and the consideration of additional asset classes or segments. Columbia Management retains full discretion over the Fund’s investment activities.
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Tactical Allocation
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests 10% to 60% of its net assets in the Tactical Allocation strategy, which includes derivative instruments (such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including currency, equity, index, and interest rate futures), options and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes), as well as direct investments in ETFs and fixed-income or debt instruments (such as investment grade corporate bonds, high yield (i.e., junk) instruments, U.S. Government bonds and notes, TIPS, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, and mortgage dollar rolls, each with varying interest rates, terms, durations and credit exposures).
Through investments in Tactical Assets, Columbia Management seeks to adjust the Fund’s exposures to equity and fixed-income/ debt markets and to segments within those markets in response to its assessment of the relative risks and potential returns of these markets and segments. As with the Underlying Funds, the Fund may, through its tactical allocation strategy, reduce (or, in certain extreme cases, eliminate entirely) its EEME and, correspondingly, increase the Fund’s effective fixed-income/debt market exposure. Conversely, the Fund may also increase its EEME by employing the Tactical Assets to adjust upward the volatility level in the Fund’s portfolio closer to desired levels.
The Fund also seeks to reduce equity market volatility in the portfolio by purchasing or writing call and put options on equity indices to protect against periods of decline in equity markets.
The Investment Manager believes that the use of the Tactical Assets, the derivative instruments and ETFs in particular, may provide more efficient and economical exposure to asset classes and segments than investments in or withdrawals from the Underlying Funds. As a result, Columbia Management uses derivatives and ETFs as primary tools for adjusting the Fund’s EEME.
The Fund may hold a significant amount of cash, money market instruments or other high quality, short-term investments, including shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds which may have a floating net asset value, to cover obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives. The Fund’s use of certain derivatives may create significant leveraged exposure to the equity and debt markets. Leverage occurs when investments in derivatives create greater economic exposure than the amount invested. This means that the Fund could lose more than originally invested in the derivative.
The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade securities in the Fund’s portfolio to carry out its principal strategies.
Underlying Funds
Below are the Underlying Funds available to the Fund for investment within each asset class category. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. Certain Underlying Funds, due to their characteristics, may fit into more than one category, and may be used by the Investment Manager to provide exposure to more than one of these categories. A description of the Underlying Funds’ investment objectives and principal investment strategies is included in Appendix A. A description of the principal risks associated with the Underlying Funds is included in Appendix B. The prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the Underlying Funds include more detailed information about these Underlying Funds and are available free of charge by calling 800.345.6611.
Equity Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund, CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund, CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund, Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund.
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Fixed-Income Underlying Funds Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, CTIVP® –– Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund and Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund.
Cash/Cash Equivalent Underlying Funds: Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its net assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective made to comply with the SEC rule governing investment company names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Fund-of-Funds Risk, Market Risk, Volatility and Volatility Management Risk, Growth Securities Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, and Derivatives Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. More information about underlying funds, including their principal risks, is available in their prospectuses, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. A description of the principal risks associated with investment in these underlying funds is included in Appendix B. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the underlying funds. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Allocation Risk. Because the Fund uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt
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instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced.
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A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell
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the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in ETF shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both
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their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF. There is a risk that ETFs in which the Fund invests may terminate due to extraordinary events. For example, any of the service providers to ETFs, such as the trustee or sponsor, may close or otherwise fail to perform their obligations to the ETF, and the ETF may not be able to find a substitute service provider. In addition, certain ETFs may be dependent upon licenses to use various indexes as a basis for determining their compositions and/or otherwise to use certain trade names. If these licenses are terminated, the ETFs may also terminate. An ETF may also terminate if its net assets fall below a certain amount.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory
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restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to
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cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
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Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
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Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market
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conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Volatility and Volatility Management Risk. Although the Fund seeks to manage equity market volatility within its portfolio, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful. Despite the Fund’s name, the Fund’s portfolio may experience more than its targeted level of volatility, subjecting the Fund to market risk. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Funds’ portfolios may be subject to price volatility, and the Fund’s share price may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. The Investment Manager’s determinations/expectations regarding volatility may be incorrect or inaccurate, which may also adversely affect the Fund’s actual volatility within the portfolio. The Fund also may underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Additionally, because the Fund seeks to target a particular level of effective equity market exposure (EEME), as stated above under “Principal Investment Strategies”, the Fund may provide protection in volatile markets by potentially curbing or mitigating the risk of loss in declining equity markets, but the Fund’s opportunity to achieve returns when the equity markets are rising will also be curbed. In general, the greater the protection against downside loss (as reflected in a smaller target level of EEME), the lesser the Fund’s opportunity to
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participate in the returns generated by rising equity markets; however, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be successful in protecting the value of its portfolio in down markets. Additionally, to the extent that the Fund maximizes its EEME in low volatility markets, if the equity markets should decline in such low volatility markets, the Fund may experience greater loss than if it had not maximized its EEME. To the extent that the Fund underestimates or misinterprets volatility signals, the Fund’s performance could be negatively affected. The Fund's volatility management strategy may increase transaction costs, which would reduce gains. Volatility targets and volatility risk are different for all three funds in the U.S. Flexible series, with the Conservative Growth Fund having the lowest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk) and the U.S. Flexible Growth Fund having the highest relative volatility  target (and volatility risk).
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References to “the Fund” throughout the remainder of the prospectus refer to the Funds singularly or collectively as the context requires.
Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions or otherwise have exposure to derivative transactions through underlying investments. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR) or the London Interbank Offered Rate (commonly known as LIBOR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
LIBOR Phase-Out Risk. Many derivatives and other financial instruments utilize or are permitted to utilize a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced its intention to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. The interest rate benchmark(s) that will replace LIBOR in
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the capital markets remains uncertain, and the overall economic impact of the transition away from LIBOR cannot yet be determined. The Investment Manager monitors the Fund’s LIBOR exposure risks, including the extent to which any derivative and/or debt investments allow for the utilization of alternative rate(s) to LIBOR.
Affiliated Fund Investing
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds” (such as the Fund(s) offered in this prospectus), and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Affiliated Products
As of the date of this prospectus, shares of the Fund are available to holders of variable annuity contracts and in variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) issued by RiverSource Life Insurance Company and RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, RiverSource Life).
RiverSource Life is an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., which is the parent company of Columbia Management, the Fund’s investment manager. Under certain variable annuity contracts, contract holders have elected certain optional benefit riders that require investment in approved investment options, including the Fund (the Riders). RiverSource Life has financial obligations to holders of the Riders arising from guarantee obligations under such Riders, which vary based upon the investment performance of the Fund. RiverSource Life expects to benefit financially by offering this Fund, compared to offering other types of funds, in variable annuity contracts with Riders. For example, RiverSource Life expects to reduce its costs to purchase hedge investments associated with variable annuity contract liabilities tied to this Fund. It also expects to benefit from the greater liquidity of hedge investments used to meet its obligations under the Riders. In addition, it expects to reduce its capital requirements, which represent assets RiverSource Life sets aside to back the guarantees offered in its variable annuity contracts. As
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described above, RiverSource Life has a financial interest in reducing its potential exposure with respect to variable annuity contract values invested under the Riders. This may present a potential conflict of interest with respect to the interests of the holders of the Riders (who are required to allocate their variable annuity contract value to certain approved investment options, of which the Fund is one). In particular, RiverSource Life’s interest in reducing volatility within the Fund’s portfolio may present a potential conflict between it and Columbia Management as the latter seeks to achieve the Fund’s investment objective of “total return while seeking to manage the Fund’s exposure to equity market volatility.”
Columbia Management has a framework in place to ensure its management of the Fund is effected in the best interests of the Fund, without undue influence from RiverSource Life. Although an investment in the Fund may have the effect of mitigating declines in your Contract value (whether or not you have elected a Rider in your variable annuity contract), in the event of a significant decline in the equity markets, the strategy followed by the Fund, if successful, will also generally result in your Contract value increasing to a lesser degree than the equity markets, or decreasing when the values of equity investments are stable or rising. Depending on future market conditions and considering only the potential return on your investment in the Fund, a variable annuity contract holder electing a Rider might benefit (or benefit more) from selecting an investment option offered in connection with a different optional benefit rider (if available) or alternate investments, and a variable annuity contract holder who did not elect a Rider might benefit (or benefit more) from selecting an alternative investment option. In addition, there is no guarantee that the Fund’s strategy will have its intended effect, or that it will work as effectively as is intended.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Investing Defensively
The Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
The Fund may not achieve its investment objective while it is investing defensively. Investing defensively may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. See also Investing in Money Market Funds above for more information.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures
The Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposures, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposures, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager believes such positioning is appropriate. The Fund may take such portfolio positions for as long a period as deemed necessary. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance. For information on the risks of investing in derivatives, see Transactions in Derivatives above.
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Portfolio Holdings Disclosure
The Board has adopted policies and procedures that govern the timing and circumstances of disclosure to shareholders and third parties of information regarding the securities owned by the Fund. A description of these policies and procedures is included in the SAI. Fund policy generally permits the disclosure of portfolio holdings information on the Fund's website (columbiathreadneedleus.com) only after a certain amount of time has passed, as described in the SAI.
Purchases and sales of portfolio securities can take place at any time, so the portfolio holdings information available on the Fund's website may not always be current.
FUNDamentals
Portfolio Holdings Versus the Benchmarks
The Fund does not limit its investments to the securities within its benchmark(s), and accordingly the Fund's holdings may diverge significantly from those of its benchmark(s). In addition, the Fund may invest in securities outside any industry and geographic sectors represented in its benchmark(s). The Fund's weightings in individual securities, and in industry or geographic sectors, may also vary considerably from those of its benchmark(s).
Cash Flows
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent the Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to shareholders redeeming Fund shares could require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at less than opportune times or to hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact the Fund’s performance.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratios reflect the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratios to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. In general, the Fund’s expense ratios will increase as its net assets decrease, such that the Fund’s actual expense ratios may be higher than the expense ratios presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table if assets fall. As applicable, any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratios that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. Management fees do not vary by class, but distribution and/or service fees and other expenses may vary by class.
In addition to the total annual Fund operating expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund’s shareholders indirectly bear the expenses of the underlying funds (or acquired funds) in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s “Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses” shown are based on its allocations to the underlying funds as of the Fund’s fiscal year end. Because acquired funds will have varied expense and fee levels and the Fund may own different proportions of acquired funds at different times, the amount of fees and expenses incurred by the Fund with respect to such investments will vary.
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FUNDamentals
Other Expenses
“Other expenses” consist of the fees the Fund pays to its custodian, transfer agent, auditors, lawyers and trustees, costs relating to compliance and miscellaneous expenses. These fees include certain sub-transfer agency and shareholder servicing fees. For more information on these fees, see About Fund Shares and Transactions — Financial Intermediary Compensation.
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement Arrangements and Impact on Past Performance
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses (excluding certain fees and expenses described below) through April 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board, so that the Fund’s net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed the annual rates of:
    
  Class 1 Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund 0.80% 1.05%
Under the agreement, the following fees and expenses are excluded from the Fund’s operating expenses when calculating the waiver/reimbursement commitment, and therefore will be paid by the Fund, if applicable: taxes (including foreign transaction taxes), transaction costs and brokerage commissions, costs related to any securities lending program, dividend expenses associated with securities sold short, inverse floater program fees and expenses, transaction charges and interest on borrowed money, interest, infrequent and/or unusual expenses and any other expenses the exclusion of which is specifically approved by the Fund’s Board. This agreement may be modified or amended only with approval from all parties.
Effect of Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements on Past Performance. The Fund’s returns shown in the Performance Information section of this prospectus reflect the effect of any fee waivers and/or reimbursements of Fund expenses by the Investment Manager and/or any of its affiliates that were in place during the performance period shown. Without such fee waivers/expense reimbursements, the Fund’s returns might have been lower.
Primary Service Providers
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. (the Transfer Agent) and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
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The Investment Manager, the Distributor, and the Transfer Agent are all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). They and their affiliates currently provide key services, including investment advisory, administration, distribution, shareholder servicing and transfer agency services, to the Fund and various other funds, including the Columbia Funds, and are paid for providing these services. These service relationships are described below.
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110 and serves as investment adviser and administrator to the Columbia Funds. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund, determining what securities and other investments the Fund should buy or sell and executing portfolio transactions. The Investment Manager may use the research and other capabilities of its affiliates and third parties in managing the Fund’s investments. The Investment Manager is also responsible for overseeing the administrative operations of the Fund, including the general supervision of the Fund’s operations, the coordination of the Fund’s other service providers and the provision of related clerical and administrative services.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated, and for VP - Managed Risk Fund and VP - Managed Risk U.S. Fund, affiliated and unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its management services, which include investment advisory services and administrative services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to the amount shown in the table below, as a percent of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
    
  Management fee for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund 0.13%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund 0.12%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund 0.23%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund 0.22%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund 0.18%
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund 0.17%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund 0.23%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund 0.22%
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund 0.22%
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of each Fund's management agreement is available in the Fund’s semiannual report to shareholders for the fiscal period ended June 30, 2019.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
    
Portfolio Manager Title Role with Fund Managed Fund Since
      For
Variable Portfolio (VP) –
Managed Risk Fund and
VP – Managed Risk
U.S. Fund
For
VP – Managed Volatility
Conservative Fund, VP – Managed Volatility
Conservative Growth Fund,
VP - Managed Volatility
Growth Fund and
VP – Managed Volatility
Moderate Growth Fund
For VP – U.S. Flexible
Conservative Growth Fund,
VP – U.S. Flexible
Growth Fund and
VP – U.S. Flexible
Moderate Growth Fund
Brian Virginia Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Insurance Investments Lead Portfolio
Manager
2017 2014 2016
Anwiti Bahuguna, Ph.D. Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Multi Asset Strategy Portfolio
Manager
2017 2015 2016
David Weiss, CFA Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management Portfolio
Manager
2017 2016 2016
Joshua Kutin, CFA Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of North America Asset Allocation Portfolio
Manager
2018 2018 2018
Mr. Virginia joined the Investment Manager in 2010. Mr. Virginia began his investment career in 1996 and earned a B.S. from Kansas State University.
Dr. Bahuguna joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 2002. Dr. Bahuguna began her investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University and a Ph.D. in economics from Northeastern University.
Mr. Weiss joined the Investment Manager in August 2015 as Vice President, Head of Sub-Advisory Management. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Weiss was at Lincoln Financial Group where he was a Portfolio Manager and CIO of Lincoln Investment Advisors Corp. Mr. Weiss began his investment career in 1999 and earned a B.S. in management from Plymouth State College and an M.B.A. from Boston University Graduate School of Management.
Mr. Kutin joined the Investment Manager in 2015 as a senior portfolio manager for the Global Investment Solutions Group. Prior to joining the Investment Manager, Mr. Kutin was a portfolio manager on the global asset allocation team at Putnam Investments. Mr. Kutin began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. in economics and a B.S. in mathematics with computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in finance from Princeton University.
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The Distributor
Shares of the Fund are distributed by Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., which is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Distributor and its affiliates may pay commissions, distribution and service fees and/or other compensation to entities, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for selling shares and providing services to investors.
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is a registered transfer agent and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, and its responsibilities include processing purchases, redemptions and transfers of Fund shares, calculating and paying distributions, maintaining shareholder records, preparing account statements and providing customer service. The Transfer Agent has engaged DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. to provide various sub-transfer agency services. The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners and the separate accounts. The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, provide various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which they are compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its other affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests;
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund; and
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insurance companies investing in the Fund may be affiliates of Ameriprise Financial; these affiliated insurance companies, individually and collectively, may hold through separate accounts a significant portion of the Fund's shares and may also invest in separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager that have the same or substantially similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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About Fund Shares and Transactions
References to the “Fund” throughout this section refer to each Fund, singularly or collectively, and Underlying Funds, as the context requires.
Description of the Share Classes
Share Class Features
The Fund offers the classes of shares set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Each share class has its own cost structure and other features. The following summarizes the primary features of the Class 1 and Class 2 shares.
    
  Class 1 Shares Class 2 Shares
Eligible Investors Shares of the Fund are available only to separate accounts of participating insurance companies as underlying investments for variable annuity contracts and in variable life insurance policies (collectively, Contracts) or other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor.
Investment Limits none none
Conversion Features none none
Front-End Sales Charges none none
Contingent Deferred Sales Charges (CDSCs) none none
Maximum Distribution and/or Service Fees none 0.25%
FUNDamentals
Financial Intermediaries
The term “financial intermediary” refers to the insurance company that issued your contract or the financial intermediary that employs your financial advisor. Financial intermediaries also include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other firms in the financial services industry, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Distribution and/or Service Fees
Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution plan which sets the distribution fees that are periodically deducted from the Fund’s assets for Class 2 shares. The distribution fee for Class 2 shares is 0.25%. These fees are calculated daily, may vary by share class and are intended to compensate the Distributor and/or financial intermediaries for selling shares of the Fund and/or providing services to investors. Because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, they will increase the cost of your investment over time.
The Fund will pay these fees to the Distributor and/or to eligible financial intermediaries for as long as the distribution plan continues. The Fund may reduce or discontinue payments at any time.
The Fund pays a service fee to participating insurance companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the separate accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, for marketing/sales support services relating to the Fund (Marketing Support Payments). Such payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds sold by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary; or a negotiated lump sum payment. While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the Marketing Support Payments to any one financial intermediary are generally between 0.05% and
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0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Fund attributable to the financial intermediary, and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for a financial intermediary receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Columbia Funds attributable to the financial intermediary.
As employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are generally tied to the success of Ameriprise Financial, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers and insurance companies, are incented to include shares of the Columbia Funds in Contracts offered by affiliated insurance companies. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, receive higher compensation and other benefits as investment in the Columbia Funds increases. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including the Distributor and the Investment Manager, and the products they offer, including the Fund.
In addition, the Transfer Agent has certain arrangements in place to compensate financial intermediaries, primarily to affiliated and unaffiliated insurance companies, that hold Fund shares through networked and omnibus accounts, including omnibus retirement plans, for services that they provide to beneficial Fund shareholders (Shareholder Services). Shareholder Services and related fees vary by financial intermediary and may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, participant recordkeeping, shareholder or participant reporting, shareholder or participant transaction processing, maintenance of shareholder records, preparation of account statements and provision of customer service, and are not intended to include services that are primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares. Payments for Shareholder Services generally are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.40% of the average aggregate value of the Fund’s shares. Each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a service fee equal to the payments made by the Transfer Agent to participating insurance companies and other financial intermediaries that provide Shareholder Services up to the lesser of the amount charged by the financial intermediary or a contractual asset-based cap. Payments of amounts that exceed the amount paid by the Fund are borne by the Transfer Agent, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates.
In addition to the payments described above, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates typically make other payments or allow promotional incentives to certain broker-dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations.
Amounts paid by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are paid out of their own resources and do not increase the amount paid by you or the Fund. You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by the Distributor, the Investment Manager and their affiliates, as well as a list of the financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial affiliates, to which the Distributor and the Investment Manager have agreed to make Marketing Support Payments and fee payments for Shareholder Services.
Your financial intermediary may charge you fees and commissions in addition to those described in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial advisors may have a conflict of interest or financial incentive with respect to recommendations regarding the Fund or any Contract or Qualified Plan that includes the Fund.
Share Price Determination
The price you pay or receive when you buy, sell or transfer shares is the Fund's next determined net asset value (or NAV) per share. The Fund calculates the NAV per share for each class of shares of the Fund at the end of each business day, with the value of the Fund's shares based on the total value of all of the securities and other assets that it holds as of a specified time. Any affiliated underlying funds calculate their NAV in the same manner as the Fund calculates its NAV.
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FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
Each of the Fund's share classes calculates its NAV per share as follows:
NAV per share =  (Value of assets of the share class) – (Liabilities of the share class)
Number of outstanding shares of the class
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities are valued primarily on the basis of market quotations reported on stock exchanges and other securities markets around the world. If an equity security is listed on a national exchange, the security is valued at the closing price or, if the closing price is not readily available, the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Certain equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are valued primarily on the basis of indicative bids, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued primarily using a market-based price obtained from a pricing service, if available. Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. Both market quotations and indicative bids are obtained from outside pricing services approved and monitored pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund's Board.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value, the Fund will determine the price of a portfolio security based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to a policy approved by the Fund’s Board. In addition, the Fund may use fair valuation to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund’s share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria, including an evaluation of U.S. market moves after the close of foreign markets, in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security. To the extent the Fund has significant holdings of small cap stocks, high-yield bonds, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt, foreign or other securities that may trade infrequently, fair valuation may be used more frequently than for other funds.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Fund uses fair valuation to price securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund would have priced the security. Also, the use of fair valuation may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmarks used to compare the Fund's
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performance because benchmarks generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate. The Fund has retained one or more independent fair valuation pricing services to assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities.
Shareholder Information
Shares of the Fund are generally available for purchase only by participating insurance companies in connection with Contracts.
The Fund, the Distributor or the Transfer Agent may refuse any order to buy or transfer shares. If this happens, the Fund will return any money it received, but no interest will be paid on that money.
Shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold directly by individual Contract owners. When you sell your shares through your Contract, the Fund is effectively buying them back. This is called a redemption. The right of redemption may be suspended or payment postponed whenever permitted by applicable laws and regulations, as described under Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests below.
Depending on the context, references to “you” or “your” herein refer either to the holder of a Contract who may select Fund shares to fund his or her investment in the Contract or to the participating insurance company as the holder of Fund shares through one or more separate accounts.
Satisfying Fund Redemption Requests
The Fund typically expects to send the redeeming participating insurance company or Qualified Plan sponsor payment for shares within two business days after your trade date. The Fund can suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds for up to seven days. The Fund can also suspend redemptions and/or delay payment of redemption proceeds in excess of seven days under certain circumstances, including when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted or during emergency or other circumstances, including as determined by the SEC.
The Fund typically seeks to satisfy redemption requests from cash or cash equivalents held by the Fund, from the proceeds of orders to purchase Fund shares or from the proceeds of sales of Fund holdings effected in the normal course of managing the Fund. However, the Fund may have to sell Fund holdings, including in down markets, to meet heavier than usual redemption requests. For example, under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances, including circumstances adversely affecting the liquidity of the Fund’s investments, the Fund may be more likely to be forced to sell Fund holdings to meet redemptions than under normal market circumstances. In these situations, the Fund’s portfolio managers may have to sell Fund holdings that would not otherwise be sold because, among other reasons, the current price to be received is less than the value of the holdings perceived by the Fund’s portfolio managers. The Fund may also, under certain circumstances (but more likely under stressed or abnormal market conditions or circumstances), borrow money under a credit facility to which the Fund and certain other Columbia Funds are parties or from other Columbia Funds under an interfund lending program (except for closed-end funds and money market funds, which are not eligible to borrow under the program). The Fund and the other Columbia Funds are limited as to the amount that each may individually and collectively borrow under the credit facility and the interfund lending program. As a result, borrowings available to the Fund under the credit facility and the interfund lending program might be insufficient, alone or in combination with the other strategies described herein, to satisfy Fund redemption requests. Please see About Fund Investments – Borrowings – Interfund Lending in the SAI for more information about the credit facility and interfund lending program. The Fund is also limited in the total amount it may borrow. The Fund may only borrow to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, and any exemptive relief available to the Fund, which currently limit Fund borrowings to 33 1/3% of total assets (including any amounts borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings), plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes (to be repaid within 60 days without extension or renewal), in each case determined at the time the borrowing is made.
In addition, the Fund reserves the right to honor redemption orders in whole or in part with in-kind distributions of Fund portfolio securities instead of cash if the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, determines it to be in the best interest of the remaining shareholders. Such in-kind distributions typically represent a pro-rata portion of Fund
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portfolio assets subject to adjustments (e.g., for non-transferable securities, round lots and derivatives). In the event the Fund distributes portfolio securities in kind, shareholders may incur brokerage and other transaction costs associated with converting the portfolio securities into cash. Also, the portfolio securities may increase or decrease in value after they are distributed but before they are converted into cash. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, redemptions paid in securities are generally treated the same as redemptions paid in cash. If, during any 90-day period, you redeem shares in an amount greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s net assets (whichever is less), and if the Investment Manager determines it to be feasible and appropriate, the Fund may pay the redemption amount above such threshold by an in-kind distribution of Fund portfolio securities. Although shares of the Fund may not be purchased or sold by individual owners of Contracts or Qualified Plans, this policy applies indirectly to Contract and Qualified Plan owners.
Potential Conflicts of Interest – Mixed and Shared Funding
The Fund is available for purchase through Contracts offered by the separate accounts of participating insurance companies and may also be available to other eligible investors authorized by the Distributor. Due to differences in tax treatment and other considerations, the interests of various Contract owners may conflict. The Fund does not foresee any disadvantages to investors arising from these potential conflicts of interest at this time. Nevertheless, the Board of the Fund intends to monitor events to identify any material irreconcilable conflicts which may arise, and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response to any conflicts. If such a conflict were to arise, one or more separate accounts might be required to withdraw its investments in the Fund or shares of another mutual fund may be substituted. This might force the Fund to sell securities at disadvantageous prices.
Additional Discussion of Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Funds Used Exclusively by Affiliated Insurance Companies
The Fund is sold exclusively as underlying investment options of the Contracts offered by RiverSource Life Insurance Company (RiverSource Life) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York (collectively, the Companies). The Investment Manager and its affiliates make or support payments out of their own resources to the Companies as a result of the Companies including the Fund as an investment option in the Contracts. These allocations may be significant. In addition, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of the Companies, may be separately incented to include the Fund in the Contracts, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. These Contracts may also include unaffiliated mutual funds as investment options, and the Companies receive payments from the sponsors of these unaffiliated mutual funds as a result of including these funds in the products. The amount of payment from sponsors of unaffiliated funds or allocation from the Investment Manager and its affiliates varies, and may be significant. The amount of the payment or allocation the Companies receive from a Fund may create an incentive for the Companies and may influence their decision regarding which funds to include in a Contract. Employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including employees of affiliated broker-dealers, may be separately incented to recommend or sell shares of the Fund, as employee compensation and business unit operating goals at all levels are tied to the company’s success. Certain employees, directly or indirectly, may receive higher compensation and other benefits as investments in the Fund increase. In addition, management, sales leaders and other employees may spend more of their time and resources promoting Ameriprise Financial and its subsidiary companies, including Columbia Management, and the Distributor, and the products they offer, including the Fund. These arrangements are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing payments,” and are in addition to any Rule 12b-1 distribution and/or service fees or other amounts paid by the Fund for account maintenance, sub-accounting or recordkeeping services provided directly by the Companies. See About Fund Shares and Transactions – Financial Intermediary Compensation for more information generally about financial intermediary compensation and the Contract prospectus for more information regarding these payments and allocations relating to your Contract.
Order Processing
Orders to buy and sell shares of the Fund that are placed by your participating insurance company are processed on business days. Orders received in “good form” by the Transfer Agent or a financial intermediary, including your participating insurance company, before the end of a business day are priced at the NAV per share of the Fund's applicable share class on that day. Orders received after the end of a business day will receive the next business
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day’s NAV per share. An order is in “good form” if the Transfer Agent or your financial intermediary has all of the information and documentation it deems necessary to effect your order. The market value of the Fund’s investments may change between the time you submit your order and the time the Fund next calculates its NAV per share. The business day that applies to your order is also called the trade date.
There is no sales charge associated with the purchase of Fund shares, but there may be charges associated with your Contract. Any charges that apply to your Contract, and any charges that apply to separate accounts of participating insurance companies that may own shares directly, are described in your Contract prospectus.
You may transfer all or part of your investment in the Fund to one or more of the other investment options available under your Contract. You may provide instructions to sell any amount allocated to the Fund. Proceeds will be mailed within seven days after your surrender or withdrawal request is received in good form by an authorized agent. The amount you receive may be more or less than the amount you invested.
Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about transfers as well as surrenders and withdrawals.
Information Sharing Agreements
As required by Rule 22c-2 under the 1940 Act, the Funds or certain of their service providers will enter into information sharing agreements with financial intermediaries, including participating life insurance companies and financial intermediaries that sponsor or offer retirement plans through which shares of the Funds are made available for purchase. Pursuant to Rule 22c-2, financial intermediaries are required, upon request, to: (i) provide shareholder account and transaction information; and (ii) execute instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases of Fund shares by shareholders who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions that violate the Fund's excessive trading policies and procedures.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Non-Money Market Funds
Right to Reject or Restrict Share Transaction Orders— The Fund is intended for investors with long-term investment purposes and is not intended as a vehicle for frequent trading activity (market timing) that is excessive. Investors should transact in Fund shares primarily for investment purposes. The Board has adopted excessive trading policies and procedures that are designed to deter excessive trading by investors (the Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures). The Fund discourages and does not accommodate excessive trading.
The Fund reserves the right to reject, without any prior notice, any purchase or transfer order for any reason, and will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected orders. For example, the Fund may in its sole discretion restrict or reject a purchase or transfer order even if the transaction is not subject to the specific limitation described below if the Fund or its agents determine that accepting the order could interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or is otherwise contrary to the Fund's best interests. The Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures apply equally to purchase or transfer transactions communicated directly to the Transfer Agent and to those received by financial intermediaries.
Specific Buying and Transferring Limitations — If a Fund detects that an investor has made two “material round trips” in any 28-day period, it will generally reject the investor's future purchase orders, including transfer buy orders, involving any Fund.
For these purposes, a “round trip” is a purchase or transfer into the Fund followed by a sale or transfer out of the Fund, or a sale or transfer out of the Fund followed by a purchase or transfer into the Fund. A “material” round trip is one that is deemed by the Fund to be material in terms of its amount or its potential detrimental impact on the Fund. Independent of this limit, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reject future purchase orders by any person, group or account that appears to have engaged in any type of excessive trading activity.
These limits generally do not apply to automated transactions or transactions by registered investment companies in a “fund-of-funds” structure. These limits do not apply to payroll deduction contributions by retirement plan participants, transactions initiated by a retirement plan sponsor or certain other retirement plan transactions consisting of rollover transactions, loan repayments and disbursements, and required minimum distribution redemptions. They may be modified or rescinded for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan limits, for considerations relating to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or regulations of the
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Department of Labor, and for certain asset allocation or wrap programs. Accounts known to be under common ownership or control generally will be counted together, but accounts maintained or managed by a common intermediary generally will not be considered to be under common ownership or control. The Fund retains the right to modify these restrictions at any time without prior notice to shareholders. In addition, the Fund may, in its sole discretion, reinstate trading privileges that have been revoked under the Fund's Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures.
Limitations on the Ability to Detect and Prevent Excessive Trading Practices— The Fund takes various steps designed to detect and prevent excessive trading, including daily review of available shareholder transaction information. However, the Fund receives buy, sell or transfer orders through financial intermediaries, and cannot always know of or reasonably detect excessive trading that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or by the use of the omnibus account arrangements they offer. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of mutual funds, particularly among certain financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers, retirement plans and variable insurance products. These arrangements often permit financial intermediaries to aggregate their clients' transactions and accounts, and in these circumstances, the identities of the financial intermediary clients that beneficially own Fund shares are often not known to the Fund.
Some financial intermediaries apply their own restrictions or policies to their clients’ transactions and accounts, which may be more or less restrictive than those described here. This may impact the Fund's ability to curtail excessive trading, even where it is identified. For these and other reasons, it is possible that excessive trading may occur despite the Fund's efforts to detect and prevent it.
Although these restrictions and policies involve judgments that are inherently subjective and may involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to act in a manner that it believes is consistent with the best interests of Fund shareholders in making any such judgments.
Risks of Excessive Trading — Excessive trading creates certain risks to the Fund's long-term shareholders and may create the following adverse effects:
negative impact on the Fund's performance;
potential dilution of the value of the Fund's shares;
interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio, such as the need to maintain undesirably large cash positions, the need to use its line of credit or the need to buy or sell securities it otherwise would not have bought or sold;
losses on the sale of investments resulting from the need to sell securities at less favorable prices; and
increased brokerage and administrative costs.
To the extent that the Fund invests significantly in foreign securities traded on markets that close before the Fund's valuation time, it may be particularly susceptible to dilution as a result of excessive trading. Because events may occur after the close of foreign markets and before the Fund's valuation time that influence the value of foreign securities, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of foreign securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is often referred to as price arbitrage. The Fund has adopted procedures designed to adjust closing market prices of foreign securities under certain circumstances to reflect what the Fund believes to be the fair value of those securities as of its valuation time. To the extent the adjustments do not work fully, investors engaging in price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the Fund's shares held by other shareholders.
Similarly, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in thinly traded securities and other debt instruments that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds), equity securities of small-capitalization companies, floating rate loans, or tax-exempt or other securities that may trade infrequently, because
these securities are often traded infrequently, investors may seek to trade Fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of these securities as of the Fund's valuation time. This is also a type of price arbitrage. Any such frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of the Fund's portfolio to a greater degree than would be the case for mutual funds that invest only, or significantly, in highly liquid securities, in part because the Fund may have difficulty selling these particular investments at advantageous times or prices to
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satisfy large and/or frequent sell orders. Any successful price arbitrage may also cause dilution in the value of Fund shares held by non-redeeming shareholders. The risks of excessive trading described above also apply to any Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests.
Excessive Trading Practices Policy of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund
A money market fund is designed to offer investors a liquid cash option that they may buy and sell as often as they wish. Accordingly, the Board has not adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage excessive or short-term trading of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares. However, since frequent purchases and sales of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund shares could in certain instances harm shareholders in various ways, including reducing the returns to long-term shareholders by increasing costs (such as spreads paid to dealers who trade money market instruments with Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund) and disrupting portfolio management strategies, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right, but has no obligation, to reject any purchase or transfer transaction at any time. Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund has no limits on purchase or transfer transactions. In addition, Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund reserves the right to impose or modify restrictions on purchases, transfers or trading of Fund shares at any time.
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Distributions and Taxes
References to the “Fund” throughout this section refer to each Fund, singularly or collectively, and Underlying Funds, as the context requires.
Distributions to Shareholders
A mutual fund can make money two ways:
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and bonds, and dividends paid on common stocks.
A mutual fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases.
In the case of the Fund, because the Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, it is not required to and does not expect to make regular distributions to its shareholders (other than in redemption of Fund shares), but may do so in the sole discretion of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (or its delegates).
Taxes and Your Investment
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the Fund were not to qualify for such treatment, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the Fund level, which would reduce the value of an investment in the Fund.
As a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” the Fund is generally not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of the Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Fund. In addition, unlike mutual funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in the Fund such requirements will be taken into account by the Fund.
Investments in the Fund may be indirectly subject to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest or capital gains. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries the Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company.
Shares of the Fund are only offered to separate accounts of participating insurance companies, and certain other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of the Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of participating insurance companies to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Each participating insurance company, including each participating insurance company that is an affiliate of the Investment Manager, includes in its taxable income any net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its separate accounts because the insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income, which benefits may be greater with respect to the Fund than if the Fund were treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividends-received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company attributable to certain dividends received by the Fund), are not passed on to Contract owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. You should consult with the participating insurance company that issued your Contract, plan sponsor, or other eligible investor through which your investment in the Fund is made regarding the U.S. federal income taxation of your investment.
For Variable Annuity Contracts and Variable Life Insurance Policies: Your Contract may qualify for favorable tax treatment. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information about the tax implications of your investment in the Contract. As long as your Contract continues to qualify for such favorable tax treatment, you will not be taxed currently on your investment in the Fund through such Contract, even if the Fund makes allocations or
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
distributions to the separate account and/or you change your investment options under the Contract. In order to qualify for such treatment, among other things, the separate accounts of participating insurance companies, which maintain and invest net proceeds from Contracts, must be “adequately diversified.” The Fund intends to operate in such a manner so that a separate account investing only in Fund shares on behalf of a holder of a Contract will be “adequately diversified.” If the Fund does not meet such requirements because its investments are not adequately diversified, your Contract could lose its favorable tax treatment and income and gain allocable to your Contract could be taxable currently to you. This could also occur if Contract holders are found to have an impermissible level of control over the investments underlying their Contracts, or if the Fund does not qualify for treatment as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership.”
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your indirect investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account other than a Contract, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
Prospectus 2020 275

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 277

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $10.48 0.15 0.81 0.96
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $9.84 0.12 1.46 1.58
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.39 0.09 (0.64) (0.55)
Year Ended 12/31/2017(e) $10.00 (0.00) (f) 0.39 0.39
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
(e) The Fund commenced operations on September 12, 2017. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(f) Rounds to zero.
278 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $11.44 9.16% 0.25% (d) 0.25% (d) 1.57% (d) 37% $3
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.42 16.06% 0.51% 0.51% 1.12% 37% $186,750
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $9.84 (5.29%) 0.61% 0.55% 0.85% 47% $97,370
Year Ended 12/31/2017(e) $10.39 3.90% 1.17% (d) 0.49% (d) (0.01%) (d) 75% $17,803
  
Prospectus 2020 279

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk U.S. Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 281

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $10.75 0.10 1.12 1.22
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.10 0.07 1.78 1.85
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.47 0.04 (0.41) (0.37)
Year Ended 12/31/2017(e) $10.00 (0.01) 0.48 0.47
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
(e) The Fund commenced operations on September 12, 2017. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
282 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Risk U.S. Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $11.97 11.35% 0.25% (d) 0.25% (d) 1.02% (d) 24% $3
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.95 18.32% 0.52% 0.52% 0.61% 24% $186,201
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.10 (3.53%) 0.67% 0.58% 0.41% 45% $80,119
Year Ended 12/31/2017(e) $10.47 4.70% 1.19% (d) 0.52% (d) (0.26%) (d) 109% $12,190
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 285

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $11.70 0.17 0.83 1.00
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.33 0.23 1.12 1.35
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.63 0.17 (0.47) (0.30)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.78 0.13 0.72 0.85
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.46 0.09 0.23 0.32
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.58 0.10 (0.22) (0.12)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
286 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $12.70 8.55% 0.31% (d) 0.31% (d) 1.57% (d) 139% $53
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.68 11.91% 0.57% 0.57% 1.90% 139% $572,701
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.33 (2.58%) 0.57% 0.57% 1.45% 119% $426,294
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.63 7.88% 0.55% 0.55% 1.17% 103% $462,907
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.78 3.06% 0.53% 0.53% 0.86% 106% $444,792
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.46 (1.13%) 0.56% 0.56% 0.98% 142% $241,975
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility ConservativeGrowth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 289

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility ConservativeGrowth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $12.36 0.16 0.95 1.11
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.79 0.20 1.45 1.65
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.32 0.15 (0.68) (0.53)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.08 0.11 1.13 1.24
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $10.74 0.07 0.27 0.34
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.94 0.09 (0.29) (0.20)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
290 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility ConservativeGrowth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $13.47 8.98% 0.29% (d) 0.29% (d) 1.46% (d) 137% $207
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.44 14.00% 0.54% 0.54% 1.58% 137% $1,520,725
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.79 (4.30%) 0.54% 0.54% 1.21% 101% $1,300,981
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.32 11.19% 0.53% 0.53% 0.95% 100% $1,425,498
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $11.08 3.17% 0.51% 0.51% 0.64% 108% $1,358,964
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $10.74 (1.83%) 0.52% 0.52% 0.83% 118% $936,541
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 293

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $13.62 0.11 1.23 1.34
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.65 0.13 2.18 2.31
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.71 0.09 (1.15) (1.06)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.67 0.05 1.99 2.04
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $11.29 0.04 0.34 0.38
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.68 0.03 (0.42) (0.39)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
294 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $14.96 9.84% 0.25% (d) 0.25% (d) 0.88% (d) 128% $1,985
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.96 18.26% 0.49% 0.49% 0.91% 128% $11,450,160
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.65 (7.73%) 0.49% 0.49% 0.65% 74% $9,820,308
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $13.71 17.48% 0.48% 0.48% 0.42% 83% $10,121,668
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $11.67 3.37% 0.47% 0.47% 0.37% 91% $8,232,846
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $11.29 (3.34%) 0.48% 0.48% 0.29% 74% $7,441,534
  
Prospectus 2020 295

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 297

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $14.19 0.13 1.21 1.34
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.36 0.18 1.98 2.16
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $14.19 0.13 (0.96) (0.83)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.41 0.09 1.69 1.78
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.00 0.07 0.34 0.41
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.31 0.08 (0.39) (0.31)
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
298 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $15.53 9.44% 0.24% (d) 0.24% (d) 1.01% (d) 138% $1,093
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $15.52 16.17% 0.49% 0.49% 1.25% 138% $15,229,993
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $13.36 (5.85%) 0.49% 0.49% 0.90% 92% $13,743,943
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $14.19 14.34% 0.47% 0.47% 0.69% 98% $14,678,387
Year Ended 12/31/2016 $12.41 3.42% 0.46% 0.46% 0.57% 112% $12,877,836
Year Ended 12/31/2015 $12.00 (2.52%) 0.47% 0.47% 0.64% 119% $11,278,182
  
Prospectus 2020 299

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 301

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $11.47 0.20 0.96 1.16
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $10.97 0.17 1.46 1.63
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.25 0.11 (0.39) (0.28)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.07 0.09 1.09 1.18
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.00 (0.02) 0.09 0.07
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
(e) The Fund commenced operations on November 2, 2016. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $12.63 10.11% 0.32% (d) 0.32% (d) 1.98% (d) 156% $3
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $12.60 14.86% 0.59% 0.59% 1.42% 156% $288,927
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $10.97 (2.49%) 0.65% 0.65% 0.99% 51% $139,061
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.25 11.72% 0.74% 0.67% 0.80% 49% $82,636
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.07 0.70% 1.08% (d) 0.66% (d) (0.28%) (d) 10% $18,272
  
Prospectus 2020 303

 

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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
Prospectus 2020 305

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $12.62 0.06 1.51 1.57
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.78 0.08 2.30 2.38
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $12.26 0.05 (0.53) (0.48)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.35 0.02 1.89 1.91
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.00 (0.01) 0.36 0.35
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
(e) The Fund commenced operations on November 2, 2016. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $14.19 12.44% 0.30% (d) 0.30% (d) 0.52% (d) 132% $132
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $14.16 20.20% 0.54% 0.54% 0.57% 132% $3,032,993
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.78 (3.92%) 0.55% 0.55% 0.38% 44% $1,705,527
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $12.26 18.45% 0.55% 0.55% 0.17% 9% $998,296
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.35 3.50% 0.63% (d) 0.63% (d) (0.26%) (d) 12% $166,632
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Per share net investment income (loss) amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total return does not reflect any fees and expenses imposed under your Contract; such fees and expenses would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments and certain derivatives, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)

    
  Net asset value,
beginning of
period
Net
investment
income
(loss)
Net
realized
and
unrealized
gain (loss)
Total from
investment
operations
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $12.05 0.20 1.16 1.36
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $11.38 0.13 1.87 2.00
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.76 0.09 (0.47) (0.38)
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $10.21 0.06 1.49 1.55
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.00 (0.01) 0.22 0.21
  
Notes to Financial Highlights
(a) In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund's reported expense ratios.
(b) Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
(c) Class 1 shares commenced operations on February 20, 2019. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
(d) Annualized.
(e) The Fund commenced operations on November 2, 2016. Per share data and total return reflect activity from that date.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Financial Highlights — VP – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund (continued)
  Net
asset
value,
end of
period
Total
return
Total gross
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a)
Total net
expense
ratio to
average
net assets(a), (b)
Net investment
income (loss)
ratio to
average
net assets
Portfolio
turnover
Net
assets,
end of
period
(000's)
Class 1
Year Ended 12/31/2019(c) $13.41 11.29% 0.30% (d) 0.30% (d) 1.84% (d) 125% $299
Class 2
Year Ended 12/31/2019 $13.38 17.57% 0.55% 0.55% 1.05% 125% $1,832,787
Year Ended 12/31/2018 $11.38 (3.23%) 0.56% 0.56% 0.74% 42% $1,142,028
Year Ended 12/31/2017 $11.76 15.18% 0.56% 0.56% 0.56% 9% $715,814
Year Ended 12/31/2016(e) $10.21 2.10% 0.75% (d) 0.64% (d) (0.16%) (d) 16% $89,784
  
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A
Underlying Funds — Investment Objectives and Strategies
The following is a brief description of the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of certain of the Underlying Funds (which are referred to as Funds in the descriptions below) in which the Fund may invest as part of its principal investment strategies. The Investment Manager may add new Underlying Funds for investment or change Underlying Funds without the approval of shareholders. The Investment Manager does not necessarily invest Fund assets in each of the Underlying Funds listed below. Additional information regarding the Underlying Funds is available in their prospectuses and SAIs. This prospectus is not an offer for any of the Underlying Funds. For copies of prospectuses of the Underlying Funds, which contains this and other information, call 800.345.6611. Read the prospectuses carefully before you invest.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Contrarian Core Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of long-term capital appreciation and current income.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks. In addition, under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of U.S. companies that have large market capitalizations (generally over $2 billion) that the Fund’s investment manager believes are undervalued and have the potential for long-term growth and current income.
The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than $5 billion at the time of purchase or that are within the market capitalization range of companies in the S&P 500 Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stocks. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity futures and index futures) for cash equitization purposes.
In pursuit of the Fund’s objective, the portfolio managers employ a process that applies fundamental investment concepts in a systematic framework seeking to identify and exploit mispriced stocks. The Fund benefits from collaboration between quantitative and fundamental research to create sector and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models, which are utilized by the portfolio managers when constructing a diversified portfolio.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income and, as a secondary objective, steady growth of capital.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in equity securities. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks. The selection of dividend-paying stocks is the primary decision in building the investment portfolio. The Fund invests principally in securities of companies believed to be attractively valued and to have the potential for long-term growth. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through current income and, secondarily, through capital appreciation.
The Fund invests primarily in fixed income securities of emerging markets issuers. For these purposes, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on the Fund investment team’s qualitative judgments about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in fixed income securities of issuers that are located in emerging markets countries, or that earn 50% or more of their total revenues from goods or services produced in emerging markets countries or from sales made in emerging markets countries.
Fixed income securities may be denominated in either U.S. dollars or the local currency of the issuer. While the Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country, it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single issuer. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas. The Fund can invest in emerging market sovereign debt instruments of any credit quality, including those rated investment grade and below investment grade or considered to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”). Although the emerging markets sovereign debt universe largely consists of investment grade instruments, a significant portion of that universe is rated in these lower rating categories. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures), and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities (including, but not limited to, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks) of companies located in emerging market countries. The Fund may also gain exposure to such companies through investment in depositary receipts. Emerging market countries include those countries whose economies are considered to be developing or emerging from underdevelopment.
The Fund may invest in a variety of countries, industries and sectors and does not attempt to invest a specific percentage of its assets in any given country, industry or sector. However, the Fund has invested substantially in the consumer discretionary, financial services and information technology sectors and may continue to invest substantially in these or other sectors in the future. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region. The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
The Fund may invest in securities that the investment manager believes are undervalued, represent growth opportunities, or both.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high total return through income and growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in debt obligations of issuers located in at least three different countries (which may include the U.S.). Debt obligations include debt securities and instruments, including money market instruments, either issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by (i) the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, (ii) non-U.S. governments, their agencies, authorities or instrumentalities, or (iii) corporate or other non-governmental entities. The Fund may invest in debt securities and instruments across the credit quality spectrum and, at times, may invest significantly in below investment-grade fixed-income securities and instruments (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk bonds”) in seeking to achieve higher dividends and/or capital appreciation.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas and may invest in issuers in emerging markets. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
In addition, in pursuing its objective, the Fund, employing fundamental analysis, may enter into various currency-, interest rate- and credit-related transactions involving derivatives instruments. The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures contracts (including currency, index, interest rate, and other bond futures), and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, inflation rate swaps, interest rate swaps, and total return swaps). The use of these derivative instruments allows the Fund to obtain net long or net negative (short) exposure to selected currencies, interest rates, credit risks and duration risks. The Fund may use these derivatives as well as “to be announced” (TBA) mortgage-backed securities in an effort to leverage exposures and produce incremental earnings, for hedging purposes, to obtain increased or decreased exposures to various markets/sectors or to increase investment flexibility. Actual long and short exposures will vary over time based on factors such as market movements, assessments of market conditions, macroeconomic analysis and qualitative valuation analysis.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal.
A-3 Prospectus 2020

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund invests at least 99.5% of its total assets in government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash. For purposes of this policy, “government securities” are any securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, or by a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an instrumentality of the Government of the United States pursuant to authority granted by the Congress of the United States, or any certificate of deposit for any of the foregoing.
The Fund typically invests in U.S. Treasury bills, notes and other obligations issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured by such obligations. The Fund may invest in variable and floating rate instruments, and may transact in securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund invests in a portfolio of securities maturing in 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing the operation of money market funds) that will have a dollar-weighted average maturity of 60 days or less and a dollar-weighted average life of 120 days or less.
The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), and other rules of the SEC. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in government securities and/or repurchase securities that are collateralized by government securities. The Fund will only purchase government securities, cash, repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash, and up to 0.5% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in other securities that present minimal credit risk as determined by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager (the Investment Manager), pursuant to guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees of the Fund has determined that the Fund will not be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates at this time.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with high current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in high-yield debt instruments (commonly referred to as “junk” bonds or securities). These high yield debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as floating rate loans rated below investment grade by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), subject to liquidity determinations and certain regulatory restrictions.
Prospectus 2020 A-4

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Income Opportunities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund’s assets are invested primarily in income-producing debt securities, with an emphasis on the higher rated segment of the high-yield (junk bond) market. These income-producing debt instruments include corporate debt securities as well as bank loans. The Fund will purchase only debt instruments rated B or above, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality. If a debt instrument falls below a B rating after investment by the Fund, the Fund may continue to hold the instrument.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments.
Corporate debt instruments in which the Fund invests are typically unsecured, with a fixed-rate of interest, and are usually issued by companies or similar entities to provide financing for their operations, or other activities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity. Because the Fund emphasizes high-yield investments, more emphasis is put on credit risk by the portfolio managers in selecting investments than either maturity or duration.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while attempting to conserve the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) and swap contracts (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes, and interest rate swaps) for hedging and investment purposes.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
While the Fund may invest in securities of any maturity, under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average maturity will be between three and ten years.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies that the investment manager believes have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in common stocks that comprise the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index (the Index). The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including equity index futures), for cash equitization purposes.
Different common stocks have different weightings in the Index, depending on the amount of stock outstanding and the stock’s current price. In seeking to match the performance of the Index, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager) attempts to allocate the Fund’s assets among common stocks in approximately the same weightings as the Index. This is referred to as a passive or indexing approach to investing. The Fund may buy shares of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., an affiliate of the Fund’s investment manager, which is currently included in the Index, subject to certain restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio - Limited Duration Credit Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a level of current income consistent with preservation of capital.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in corporate bonds. The Fund primarily invests in debt securities with short- and intermediate-term maturities generally similar to those included in the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Index (the Index). The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund’s duration is managed to help reduce volatility associated with changes in interest rates. Under normal conditions, the Fund will target duration to be similar to or lower than that of the Index, but will not exceed that of the Index by more than one year. As of March 31, 2020, the duration of the Index was 2.70 years.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures), to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund may also use these instruments for other purposes.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging markets.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Long Government/Credit Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund’s investments may include debt instruments of governments throughout the world (including the U.S., other developed markets, and emerging markets) as well as their agencies and instrumentalities, government-sponsored enterprises, states or other political subdivisions within the U.S. or its territories, sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers, and non-governmental issuers (i.e., corporations or similar entities) throughout the world. The Fund may also invest in mortgage- and other asset backed securities. Although the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high yield” investments or “junk” bonds), the Fund will primarily invest in investment grade securities. Investment grade is defined as rated Baa3/BBB or higher by at least two of the following rating agencies: Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. If only two of the three rating agencies rate the security, the lower rating is issued to determine its eligibility. If only one of the three rating agencies rates a security, the rating must be investment-grade.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign debt securities and instruments, including those of foreign governments, non-governmental issuers or other entities, and up to 20% of its net assets in preferred stock.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund’s dollar-weighted average effective maturity will be ten years or longer. The Fund may invest opportunistically in bonds with maturities lower than 10 years.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures) to manage the duration positioning of the Fund.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) at the time of purchase in the common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, midcap companies are considered to be companies whose market capitalization falls within the market capitalization range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $64.6 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. As such, the size of the companies in which the Fund invests may change. As long as an investment continues to meet the Fund’s other investment criteria, the Fund may choose to continue to hold a stock even if the company’s market capitalization grows beyond the market capitalization of the largest company within the Index or falls below the market capitalization of the smallest company within the Index.
The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more economic sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund may invest in special situations such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with capital appreciation.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities in foreign companies. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest directly in foreign equity securities, such as common and preferred stock, or indirectly through mutual funds and closed-end funds, as well as depositary receipts. The Fund may invest in securities of or relating to issuers believed to be undervalued (i.e., “value” stocks), represent growth opportunities (i.e., “growth” stocks), or both. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest in companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers, other corporate restructurings and other special situations. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures) and options (including options on stocks and indices), for both hedging and non-hedging purposes including, for example, for investment purposes to seek to enhance returns or, in certain circumstances, when holding a derivative is deemed preferable to holding the underlying asset. In particular, the Fund may invest in forward currency contracts to hedge the currency exposure associated with some or all of the Fund’s securities, to shift investment exposure from one currency to another, to shift U.S. dollar exposure to achieve a representative weighted mix of major currencies in its benchmark, or to adjust an underweight country exposure in its portfolio. The Fund may also invest in equity index futures to manage exposure to the securities market and to maintain equity market exposure while managing cash flows.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, in the range of companies in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $1.5 billion to $1,199.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund normally invests in common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and rights and may invest in exchange-traded funds. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 45 and 65 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as options, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including, for example, to seek to enhance returns or as a substitute for a position in an underlying asset.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which large market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 40 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of medium-sized companies. Medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations at the time of purchase fall within the market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index) (between $72.6 million and $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund normally invests in common stocks and also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 30 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small capitalization issuers. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.3 million and $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund’s Board of Trustees may change the parameters by which smaller market capitalization is defined if it concludes such a change is appropriate.
The Fund invests substantially in securities of U.S. issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund also invests substantially in “value” companies. The Fund considers “value” companies to be those companies believed by the investment manager to be undervalued, either historically, by the market, or as compared with issuers in the same or similar industry or sector. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and the information technology sectors. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may hold a small number of securities, consistent with its value investment approach. Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 50 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations in the range of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.3 million and $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020) that the Fund’s investment manager believes are undervalued and have the potential for long-term growth. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks of companies that have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 2000 Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $5.9 million and $11.3 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund invests primarily in common stocks of companies believed to have the potential for long-term, above-average earnings growth but may invest in companies for their short, medium or long-term prospects. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the consumer discretionary sector, health care sector and information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund may invest in special situations, such as companies involved in initial public offerings, tender offers, mergers and other corporate restructurings, and in companies involved in management changes or companies developing new technologies.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Strategic Income Fund (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund has substantial exposure to fixed-income/debt markets. The Fund has the flexibility to invest in any sector of the fixed-income/debt market and across the credit quality spectrum. The Fund may invest in U.S. Government bonds and notes (including those of its agencies and instrumentalities, and of government-sponsored enterprises), U.S. and international (including developed, developing and emerging markets) bonds and notes, investment grade corporate (or similar) bonds and notes, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, high yield (i.e., “junk”) instruments, floating rate loans and other floating rate debt securities, inflation-protected/linked securities, convertible securities, cash/cash equivalents, as well as foreign government, sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt investments. The Fund’s investments may include non-U.S. dollar denominated instruments. The Fund may also invest in preferred securities. The Fund does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration target.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts for investment and hedging purposes), futures (including bond futures for managing yield curve and duration risk, and index and interest rate futures for hedging and investment purposes), options (including options on listed futures for hedging purposes), and swaps (including credit default swaps, credit default swap indexes and interest rate swaps for hedging purposes, and total return swaps for investment purposes). The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund may invest in interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) bonds (commonly known as stripped securities) for investment purposes.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income as its primary objective and, as its secondary objective, preservation of capital.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in mortgage-related securities. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in mortgage-related securities that either are issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities. This includes, but is not limited to, Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae) mortgage-backed bonds, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government; and Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac) mortgage-backed bonds. FNMA and FHLMC are chartered or sponsored by Acts of Congress; however, their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
The Fund’s investments in mortgage-related securities include investments in stripped mortgage-backed securities such as interest-only (IO) and principal-only (PO) securities.
The Fund may invest in debt instruments of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including interest rate futures) to manage duration and yield curve exposure and to manage exposure to movements in interest rates. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund
Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with maximum current income consistent with liquidity and stability of principal.
The Fund’s assets primarily are invested in money market instruments, such as marketable debt obligations issued by corporations or the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, letters of credit, commercial paper, including asset-backed commercial paper, and repurchase agreements. The Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in money market instruments issued by U.S. banks, U.S. branches of foreign banks and U.S. Government securities in the event that such investments would be appropriate for the Fund in seeking to achieve its objective, including, for example, if the interest rate environment is such that these investments are expected to provide higher rates of return than other money market instruments. The Fund may invest less than 25% in such investments if the interest rate environment is such that other money market instruments are expected to provide a higher rate of return. Additionally, the Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign investments. The Fund may transact in securities on a when-issued,
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
delayed delivery or forward commitment basis (including U.S. Treasury floating rate notes). The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
Although the Fund’s shares are priced with a floating NAV, capital appreciation is not expected to play a role in the Fund’s return. The Fund’s yield generally will vary from day to day.
The Fund restricts its investments to instruments that meet certain maturity and quality standards required by the SEC for money market funds. For example, the Fund:
Buys securities determined to present minimal credit risk by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager).
Limits its U.S. dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity to 60 days or less and its U.S. dollar-weighted average life to 120 days or less.
Buys obligations with remaining maturities of 397 days or less (as maturity is calculated by SEC rules governing the operation of money market funds).
Buys only obligations that are denominated in U.S. dollars.
The Fund is offered only to other Columbia Funds.
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
CTIVP® - American Century Diversified Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. At least 50% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. Although the Fund emphasizes high- and medium-quality debt securities, it may assume increased credit risk by investing in below investment-grade fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds).
The Fund may invest in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and certain U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae). Ginnie Mae is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Securities issued or guaranteed by other U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, they are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in debt instruments of foreign issuers, including issuers in emerging markets.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to
Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory
restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate futures) and swaps (including credit default swaps and credit default swap indexes) in an effort to manage interest rate exposure, to produce incremental earnings, to hedge existing positions, and to increase market exposure and investment flexibility.
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return that exceeds the rate of inflation over the long term.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected debt securities. These securities include inflation-indexed bonds of varying maturities issued by the U.S. Government and non-U.S. governments, their agencies or instrumentalities, and U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. The Fund invests only in securities rated investment grade at the time of purchase by a third-party rating agency or, if unrated, deemed by the management team to be of comparable quality. Up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in sectors outside the Fund’s benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays World Government Inflation-Linked Bond Index USD Hedged (the Index). The Fund seeks to maintain an average duration that is within a range of plus or minus 20% of the duration of the Index.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 40% of its net assets in debt obligations of foreign governments, and companies that (a) maintain their principal place of business or conduct their principal business activities outside the U.S., (b) have their securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges or (c) have been formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries. This 40% minimum investment amount may be reduced to 30% if market conditions for these investments or specific foreign markets are deemed unfavorable. The Fund considers a company to conduct its principal business activities outside the U.S. if it derives at least 50% of its revenue from business outside the U.S. or has at least 50% of its assets outside the U.S. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including interest rate, other bond, and index futures), options (including options on futures and indices) and swaps (including interest rate swaps and inflation rate swaps). The Fund may enter into derivatives for investment purposes, for risk management (hedging) purposes, to increase flexibility, to produce incremental earnings, and to manage duration, yield curve and interest rate exposure. The Fund’s use of derivatives creates leverage (market exposure in excess of the Fund’s assets) in the Fund’s portfolio.
The management team may hedge any portion of the non-U.S. dollar denominated securities in the Fund to the U.S. dollar.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
The Fund is non-diversified, which means that it can invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of fewer issuers than can a diversified fund.
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities issued by companies in the real estate industry. A company is considered to be in the real estate industry if it (i) derives at least 50% of its revenues or profits from the ownership, construction, management, financing or sale of residential, commercial or industrial real estate or (ii) has at least 50% of the fair market value of its assets invested in residential, commercial or industrial real estate. Companies in the real estate industry include, among others, real estate operating companies (REOCs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The Fund may invest in companies that have market capitalizations of any size.
CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund
CTIVP® – Lazard International Equity Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks long-term capital appreciation.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies located in countries outside the United States. Equity securities include, without limitation, common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common or preferred stocks. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
The Fund may invest in companies across all market capitalizations. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
The Fund’s investments include companies that are located in the countries represented in the MSCI Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index), which includes developed countries outside of North America. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in companies that are located in countries not represented in the Index, such as emerging markets countries. The Fund will invest primarily in securities of companies listed on a non-U.S. securities exchange or quoted on an established foreign over-the-counter market, or in depository receipts such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs).
The Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs), warrants and rights.
The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
In managing the Fund, the subadviser utilizes a quantitatively driven, bottom-up stock selection process.
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
CTIV® - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large-capitalization companies believed to have the potential for long-term growth. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities, including emerging market securities, directly or indirectly through depositary receipts.
The Fund will not concentrate its assets in any single industry but may from time to time invest more than 25% of its assets in companies conducting business in various industries within an economic sector. The Fund will typically invest in a limited number of companies.
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of U.S. large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $510.1 million and $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in preferred stock, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology and technology-related sectors.
The Fund’s subadviser uses quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct the Fund’s portfolio.
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund
CTIVP® - MFS® Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund’s assets are invested primarily in equity securities. The Fund invests primarily in the stocks of companies that are believed to be undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies). Value companies tend to have stock prices that are low relative to their earnings, dividends, assets, or other financial measures.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Equity securities in which the Fund may invest include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, equity interests in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and depositary receipts for such securities. While the Fund may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Fund generally focuses on large-capitalization companies. Large-capitalization companies are defined by the Fund as those companies with market capitalizations of at least $5 billion at the time of purchase.
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
CTIVP® - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund has exposure to equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, rights and warrants to purchase common stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and limited partnership interests. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, the Fund primarily focuses on large capitalization companies that fall within the range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $1.2 trillion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in foreign investments, including emerging market investments. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector. The Fund typically employs a focused portfolio investing style, which results in fewer holdings than a fund that seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a greater number of issuers.
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
CTIVP® - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with total return through current income and capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities, including debt securities issued by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored corporations, debt securities issued by corporations, mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, dollar-denominated securities issued by foreign governments, companies or other entities, bank loans and other obligations. Other obligations include any other security or instrument in which there is a requirement or obligation to repay money borrowed. For purposes of its 80% test, the Fund treats investment in loans as “debt securities,” even though loans may not be “securities” under certain of the federal securities laws. The Fund invests at least 60% of its net assets in debt securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated in at least one of the three highest rating categories or are unrated securities determined to be of comparable quality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in debt instruments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade or are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality (commonly referred to as “high-yield” investments or “junk” bonds). The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of any maturity and does not seek to maintain a particular dollar-weighted average maturity or duration at the Fund level.
Up to 25% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign investments (including in emerging markets), which may include investments of up to 20% of the Fund’s assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities. In connection with its strategy relating to foreign investments, the Fund may buy or sell foreign currencies in lieu of or in addition to non-dollar denominated fixed-income securities in order to increase or decrease its exposure to foreign interest rate and/or currency markets.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) and futures contracts (including interest rate futures) for hedging purposes and to manage duration of the Fund.
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Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix A (continued)
The Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment basis. Such securities may include mortgage-backed securities acquired or sold in the “to be announced” (TBA) market and those in a dollar roll transaction.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may also hold/invest in cash, money market instruments (which may include investments in one or more affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or similar vehicles) or other high-quality, short-term investments, including for the purpose of covering its obligations with respect to, or that may result from, the Fund’s investments in derivatives.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital and income.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of large-capitalization companies. These companies have market capitalizations in the range of companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index (the Index) at the time of purchase (between $72.6 million and $345.7 billion as of March 31, 2020). The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund’s subadviser seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but, in the opinion of the subadviser, have good prospects for capital appreciation. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. For these purposes, the Fund considers mid-cap companies to be those whose market capitalization falls within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $72.6 million to $39.1 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts. As a result of the bottom-up stock selection process, Victory Capital Management Inc. from time to time may find more compelling investment opportunities in certain economic sectors, such as the financial services sector.
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
CTIVP® - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with current income consistent with capital preservation.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in U.S. Government obligations, including debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Government agencies or government-sponsored entities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets within non-government mortgage and asset-backed securities.
In pursuit of its objective, the Fund will purchase only securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, within the two highest rating categories assigned by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization, or if deemed to be of comparable quality. As part of the Fund’s investment strategy, it may invest in stripped securities (securities that have been transformed from a principal amount with periodic interest coupons into a series of zero-coupon bonds, with the range of maturities matching the coupon payment dates and the redemption date of the principal amount) or
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Appendix A (continued)
enter into mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements. In addition, the Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies, and to a lesser extent, other securities rated AA- or Aa3 that the Fund’s subadviser believes will sufficiently outperform U.S. Treasuries. Generally, the portfolio’s overall dollar-weighted average effective duration is less than that of a 3-year U.S. Treasury note.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts (including interest rate futures), to hedge interest rate exposure of the Fund.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of mid-capitalization companies. The Fund defines mid-capitalization companies as those companies with a market capitalization that falls within the range of the companies that comprise the Russell Midcap® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $510.1 million to $64.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the information technology sector.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income while conserving the value of the investment for the longest period of time.
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds and other debt securities. The Fund invests primarily in securities like those included in the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the Index), which are investment grade and denominated in U.S. dollars. The Index includes securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, corporate bonds, and mortgage- and asset-backed securities. The Fund may invest in mortgage dollar rolls and reverse repurchase agreements, as well as invest in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign issuers.
The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments that are purchased and sold pursuant to Rule 144A or other exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to certain regulatory restrictions.
The Fund’s investment strategy may involve the frequent trading of portfolio securities.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities. Equity securities include, for example, common stock, preferred stock and convertible securities. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies.
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may invest in foreign securities directly or indirectly through depositary receipts. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
Fundamental analysis and quantitative models are utilized in buying and selling investments for the Fund.
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Appendix A (continued)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term growth of capital.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in equity securities of foreign issuers, located or traded in countries other than the U.S., that are believed to offer strong growth potential. While the Fund may invest in companies of any size, under normal circumstances, the Fund generally invests its assets in companies whose market capitalizations fall within the range of the companies that comprise the MSCI Europe, Australasia and Far East (EAFE) Index (the Index) at the time of purchase. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $613.5 million to $305.9 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest directly in foreign securities or indirectly through depositary receipts. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as futures (including index futures), forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), as well as in foreign currencies and exchange-traded funds, for hedging purposes, to gain exposure to the equity market and to maintain liquidity to pay for redemptions. A portion of the Fund’s assets may be held in cash or cash-equivalent investments, including, but not limited to, short-term investment funds and money market funds.
Quantitative models are used as part of the investment process for the Fund. The models consider a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to, value and momentum.
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund’s assets are primarily invested in equity securities of foreign issuers as well as depositary receipts. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stock. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Generally, the Fund anticipates holding between 40 and 70 securities in its portfolio; however, the Fund may hold, at any time, more or fewer securities than noted in this range. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including the Asia/Pacific region and Europe. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities that provide exposure to emerging markets. The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services, industrials, and information technology sectors. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will emphasize investments in issuers that the portfolio managers consider to be “growth” companies.
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (formerly known as CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund)
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
The Fund invests primarily in equity securities of large non-U.S. companies associated with developed markets that the Fund’s portfolio managers determine to be value stocks at the time of purchase. These equity securities generally include common stock, preferred stock and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Fund may invest in the securities of issuers of any size, including small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector.
Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to invest at least 40% of its assets in companies in three or more non-U.S. developed market countries. From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
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Appendix A (continued)
Investments for the Fund will not be based upon an issuer’s dividend payment policy or record. However, many of the companies whose securities will be included in the Fund’s portfolio pay dividends. It is anticipated, therefore, that the Fund will receive dividend income.
The Fund may invest in derivatives, such as forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts) in connection with the settlement of equity trades or the exchange of one currency for another and futures contracts (including equity and index futures) to adjust market exposure based on actual or expected cash inflows to or outflows from the Fund.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio Partners Small Cap Growth Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital growth.
Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in the equity securities of small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies are defined as those companies with a market capitalization, at the time of purchase, of up to $2.5 billion, or that fall within the range of the Russell 2000® Growth Index (the Index). The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.9 million to $11.3 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the health care sector and the information technology and technology-related sectors.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each subadviser employs an active investment strategy. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
Variable Portfolio - Partners Small Cap Value Fund (the Fund) seeks to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) are invested in small cap companies. For these purposes, small cap companies are those that have a market capitalization, at the time of investment, that falls within the range of the Russell 2000® Value Index (the Index) or up to $2.5 billion, whichever is greater. The Fund may buy and hold stock in a company that is not included in the Index. The market capitalization range of the companies included within the Index was $5.3 million to $5.5 billion as of March 31, 2020. The market capitalization range and composition of the companies in the Index are subject to change. The Fund may invest in any type of security, including common stocks and depositary receipts. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The Fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign investments. The Fund may from time to time emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services sector. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts.
Multiple subadvisers provide the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio. Each of the subadvisers employs an active investment strategy that focuses on small cap companies in an attempt to take advantage of what are believed to be undervalued securities. One or more of the Fund’s subadvisers use quantitative methods to identify investment opportunities and construct their portion of the Fund’s portfolio.
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Appendix B
Underlying Funds — Principal Risks
The ability of each Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to its allocation among the Underlying Funds and the ability of the Underlying Funds to meet their investment objectives, as well as the investment performance of the Funds’ other investments.  The following is a brief description of certain of the principal risks associated with investments in the Underlying Funds in which the Funds may invest as part of their principal investment strategies.  The Funds are subject indirectly to these risks through their investments in the Underlying Funds, and are also subject directly to certain of these risks to the extent they invest in individual securities and other instruments, as described in Principal Risks above. Additional information regarding the principal risks associated with investment in the Underlying Funds is available in the applicable Underlying Fund’s prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.  This prospectus is not an offer for any of the Underlying Funds.
The references in each case to the “Fund” within each of the below risks descriptions in this Appendix B refers to the Underlying Fund(s) that the Funds may invest in.
Active Management Risk. Certain Funds are actively managed by their portfolio managers. Certain other Funds are managed based primarily on quantitative methods, with the portfolio managers conducting a qualitative review of the quantitative output. In either case, the Funds could underperform their benchmark indices and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.
Confidential Information Access Risk. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of material, non-public information (Confidential Information) about the issuers of floating rate loans (including from the issuer itself) being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information may disadvantage the Fund and could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk. The Fund may also be forced to convert a convertible security at an inopportune time, which may decrease the Fund’s return.
Counterparty Risk. Counterparty risk is the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle invested in by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations. As a result, the Fund may obtain no or limited recovery of its investment, and any recovery may be significantly delayed.
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P Global Ratings, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or
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Appendix B (continued)
unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated and can experience lengthy periods of
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Appendix B (continued)
illiquidity, unusually high trading volume and other negative impacts, such as political intervention, which may result in volatility or disruptions in such markets. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. The Fund's losses could be significant, and are potentially unlimited for certain types of options. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. Structured investments may create economic leverage which may increase the volatility of the value of the investment. Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of
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Appendix B (continued)
that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries, and some have a higher risk of currency devaluations.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. ETFs are subject to, among other risks, tracking risk and passive and, in some cases, active investment risk. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses, and indirectly the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. The ETFs may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in ETFs, may not achieve its investment objective.
Focused Portfolio Risk. Because the Fund may invest in a limited number of companies, the Fund as a whole is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Foreign securities subject the Fund to the risks associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, including political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund
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Appendix B (continued)
reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frequent Trading Risk. The portfolio managers may actively and frequently trade investments in the Fund's portfolio to carry out its investment strategies. Frequent trading can mean higher brokerage and other transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund's return. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to the risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. Increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist and similar measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Asia Pacific Region. Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Also, securities of some companies in the region can be less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities, potentially making it difficult for the Fund to sell such securities at a desirable time and price.
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries in Europe. In addition, the private and public sectors’ debt problems of a single European Union (EU) country can pose significant economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. The impact of any partial or complete dissolution of the EU on the United Kingdom (UK) and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. The Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Chinese economies are dependent on the economies of other countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from other emerging economies in Asia with lower costs. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties. The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak have exacerbated political and diplomatic tensions between the United States and China, which could adversely affect international trade and the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Changes in Chinese government policy and economic growth rates could significantly affect local markets and the entire Greater China region. China has yet to develop comprehensive securities,
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Appendix B (continued)
corporate, or commercial laws, its market is relatively new and less developed, and its economy is experiencing a relative slowdown. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy.
Japan. The Fund is highly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Latin America Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Latin America region. These include risks of elevated and volatile interest, inflation and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations, exchange rate volatility and relatively high dependence upon commodities and international trade may also present additional risks for the Fund. Latin American economies may be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls, limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities, inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may include highly leveraged transactions whereby the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality expose the Fund to a greater risk of loss of principal and income than a fund that invests solely or primarily in investment grade debt instruments. In addition, these investments have greater price fluctuations, are less liquid and are more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal.
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Appendix B (continued)
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates (i.e., nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation). In general, the price of such securities falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on these securities will vary and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk. Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. In addition, investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying funds. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated underlying funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund.  The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance
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Appendix B (continued)
could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all. The underlying funds may not achieve their investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in underlying funds, may not achieve its investment objective.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies (small- and mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because small- and mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of larger companies.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. The elimination of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Alternatives to LIBOR are established or in development in most major currencies including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary, and it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers, willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. Certain types of investments, such as lower-rated securities or those that are
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
purchased and sold in over-the-counter markets, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell its loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, and the Fund, to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, may need to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders, and the remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. The Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and it normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Investors have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. Investments are also subject to certain tax risks and conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership.
Model and Data Risk. Given the complexity of the investments and strategies of the Fund, the Fund’s subadviser may rely heavily on quantitative models and information and traditional and non-traditional data supplied by third parties (Models and Data). Models and Data are used to construct sets of transactions and investments, to provide risk management insights, and to assist in hedging the Fund’s investments.
When Models and Data prove to be incorrect or incomplete, any decisions made in reliance thereon expose the Fund to potential risks. Similarly, any hedging based on faulty Models and Data may prove to be unsuccessful. Some of the models used by the subadviser for the Fund are predictive in nature. The use of predictive models has inherent risks. Because predictive models are usually constructed based on historical data supplied by third parties, the success of relying on such models may depend on the accuracy and reliability of the supplied historical data. The Fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used by the subadviser will not be successful in forecasting movements in industries, sectors or companies and/or in determining the size, direction and/or the weighting of investment positions that will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
All models rely on correct data inputs. If incorrect data is entered into even a well-founded model, the resulting information will be incorrect. However, even if data is inputted correctly, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
The Fund is unlikely to be successful unless the assumptions underlying the models are realistic and either remain realistic and relevant in the future or are adjusted to account for changes in the overall market environment. If such assumptions are inaccurate or become inaccurate and are not promptly adjusted, it is likely that profitable trading signals will not be generated, and major losses may result.
The subadviser, in its sole discretion, will continue to test, evaluate and add new models, which may result in the modification of existing models from time to time. There can be no assurance that model modifications will enable the Fund to achieve its investment objective.
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Momentum Style Risk. Investing in or having exposure to securities with positive momentum entails investing in securities that have had above-average recent returns. These securities may be more volatile than other securities. In addition, there may be periods during which the investment performance of the Fund while using a momentum strategy suffers more than that of a Fund not following a momentum strategy.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically, $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Money Market Fund Risk (For Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund). Although government money market funds (such as the Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.
At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
Money Market Fund Risk (For Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund). At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
If, at any time, the Fund’s weekly liquid assets fall below 30% of its total assets and the Board determines it is in the best interests of the Fund, the Fund may, as early as the same day and at any time during the day, impose a fee of up to 2% of the value of all shares redeemed and/or temporarily suspend redemptions (sometimes referred to as imposing redemption gates) for up to 10 business days. If, at the end of any business day, the Fund’s weekly liquid
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Appendix B (continued)
assets fall below 10% of its total assets, the Fund must impose a fee, as of the beginning of the next business day, of 1% of the value of all shares redeemed, unless the Board determines that imposing such a fee is not in the best interests of the Fund or the Board determines that a lower or higher fee (not to exceed 2% of the value of all shares redeemed) would be in the best interests of the Fund. These determinations may affect the composition of the investment portfolio, performance and operating expenses of the Fund.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed by the full faith and credit of a particular U.S. Government agency, authority, enterprise or instrumentality, and some, but not all, are also insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk and prepayment risk. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making their prices more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates.
Multi-Adviser Risk. The Fund has multiple advisory firms that each manage a portion of the Fund’s net assets on a daily basis. Each adviser makes investment decisions independently from the other adviser(s). It is possible that the security selection process of one adviser will not complement or may conflict or even contradict that of the other adviser(s), including making off-setting trades that have no net effect to the Fund, but which may increase Fund expenses. As a result, the Fund's exposure to a given security, industry, sector or market capitalization could be smaller or larger than if the Fund were managed by a single adviser, which could adversely affect the Fund's performance.
Non-Diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is non-diversified, which generally means that it will invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund. This increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a diversified fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, the Fund's value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not “actively” managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to its underlying index. The Fund invests in securities or instruments included in, or believed by the Investment Manager to be representative of, its underlying index, regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may
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Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund’s investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not be effective in selecting the most favorable securities for inclusion in the Index and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Flaws or errors in the quantitative model’s assumptions, design, execution, or data inputs may adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative models may not perform as expected and may underperform in certain market environments including in stressed or volatile market conditions. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Reinvestment  Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Repurchase Agreements  Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk. The Fund’s holdings of private
Prospectus 2020 B-13

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the consumer discretionary sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes.
Energy Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the energy sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.
Financial Services Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Health Care Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the health care sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
B-14 Prospectus 2020

 

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Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
Industrials Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Information Technology Sector. The Fund may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the information technology sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Short Positions Risk. The Fund may establish short positions which introduce more risk to the Fund than long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Stripped Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receive differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. The cash flows and yields on IOs and POs are extremely sensitive to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the
Prospectus 2020 B-15

 

Table of Contents
Variable Portfolio Funds
Appendix B (continued)
underlying mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. A rapid rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of IOs. A slow rate of principal payments may adversely affect the yield to maturity of POs. If prepayments of principal are greater than anticipated, an investor in IOs may incur substantial losses. If prepayments of principal are slower than anticipated, the yield on a PO will be affected more severely than would be the case with a traditional mortgage-backed security.
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
Value Securities Risk. Value securities are securities of companies that may have experienced, for example, adverse business, industry or other developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused the securities to be out of favor and, in turn, potentially undervalued. The market value of a portfolio security may not meet portfolio management’s perceived value assessment of that security, or may decline in price, even though portfolio management believes the securities are already undervalued. There is also a risk that it may take longer than expected for the value of these investments to rise to portfolio management’s perceived value. In addition, value securities, at times, may not perform as well as growth securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and are subject to liquidity risk which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
When-Issued, Delayed Settlement and Forward Commitment Transactions, Including U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Notes Risk. When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. A Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the purchase and settlement dates. Such transactions include floating rate obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their coupon rates do not reset as high, or as quickly, as interest rates in general, and generally carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity.
B-16 Prospectus 2020

 

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Variable Portfolio Funds
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
For More Information
The Funds are generally available only to owners of Contracts issued by participating insurance companies. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for information about how to buy, sell and transfer shares of the Fund.
Additional Information About the Funds
Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Funds as follows:
By Mail:  Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
P.O. Box 219104
Kansas City, MO 64121-9104
By Telephone: 800.345.6611
Online: columbiathreadneedleus.com
Reports and other information about the Funds are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of each Trust of which a Fund is a series, is:
    
Funds Trust Investment company
registration number
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk Fund Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust 811-05199
Variable Portfolio – Managed Risk U.S. Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Conservative Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – U.S. Flexible Moderate Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 811-22127
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2020 Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
800.345.6611
PRO400_AT_(05/20)
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
May 1, 2020
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund*: single class of shares
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 4
Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 4
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 4
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 4
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 4
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund: Class 1 & Class 2
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund: Class 1, Class 2 & Class 3
* This Fund is closed to new investors.

 

Each Fund may offer shares to separate accounts (Separate Accounts) funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (Contracts) issued by affiliated and unaffiliated life insurance companies as well as qualified pension and retirement plans (Qualified Plans) and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Funds’ distributor (the Distributor). There are no exchange ticker symbols associated with shares of the Funds.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, references herein to “each Fund,” “the Fund,” “a Fund,” “the Funds” or “Funds” refer to each Fund listed above.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus, is not a substitute for reading any prospectus and is intended to be read in conjunction with each Fund’s current prospectus dated the same date as this SAI. The most recent annual report for each Fund (as applicable), which includes the Fund’s audited financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2019, is incorporated herein by reference.
Copies of the Funds' current prospectuses and annual and semiannual reports (once available, as applicable) may be obtained without charge by writing Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., P.O. Box 219104, Kansas City, MO 64121-9104, by calling Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611, by contacting the applicable Participating Insurance Company or sponsor of a qualified pension or retirement plan (Qualified Plan), or by contacting the broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries offering certain variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued by the Participating Insurance Company through which shares of the Funds are available.

 

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B-1
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 1

 

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SAI PRIMER
The SAI is a part of the Funds' registration statement that is filed with the SEC. The registration statement includes the Funds' prospectuses, the SAI and certain exhibits. The SAI, and any supplements to it, can be found online by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
For purposes of any electronic version of this SAI, all references to websites or universal resource locators (URLs), are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any such website or URL into this SAI.
The SAI generally provides additional information about the Funds that is not required to be in the Funds' prospectuses. The SAI expands discussions of certain matters described in the Funds' prospectuses and provides certain additional information about the Funds that may be of interest to some investors. Among other things, the SAI provides information about:
the organization of the Trust;
the Funds' investments;
the Funds' investment adviser, investment subadviser(s) (if any) and other service providers, including roles and relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and conflicts of interest;
the governance of the Funds;
the Funds' brokerage practices;
the share classes offered by the Funds;
the purchase, redemption and pricing of Fund shares; and
the application of U.S. federal income tax laws.
Investors may find this information important and helpful. If you have any questions about the Funds, please call Columbia Funds at 800.345.6611 or contact your financial advisor.
Throughout this SAI, the term “financial intermediary” may refer, generally, to one or more of the selling agents and/or servicing agents that are authorized to sell and/or service shares of the Funds, which may include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ such broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
Before reading the SAI, you should consult the prospectus for the Fund as well as the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI. Terms not defined in the Glossary below generally have the same meaning as otherwise ascribed in a Fund’s prospectus.
Glossary
1933 Act Securities Act of 1933, as amended
1934 Act Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
1940 Act Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
American Century American Century Investment Management, Inc.
Ameriprise Financial Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
AQR AQR Capital Management, LLC
BlackRock BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
BIL BlackRock International Limited, an affiliate of BlackRock
BMO BMO Asset Management Corp.
Board The Trust’s Board of Trustees
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 2

 

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Business Day Any day on which the NYSE is open for business. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund's NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund's assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
CEA Commodity Exchange Act
    
CenterSquare CenterSquare Investment Management LLC
CFTC The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission
CFVST II Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II
CMOs Collateralized mortgage obligations
Code Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Codes of Ethics The codes of ethics adopted by the Funds, the Investment Manager, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. and/or any sub-adviser, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act
Columbia Funds or Columbia Funds Complex The fund complex, including the Funds, that is comprised of the registered investment companies, including traditional mutual funds, closed-end funds, and ETFs, advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates
Columbia Management Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
    
Columbia WAM Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC
Custodian JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
DBRS DBRS Morningstar
DFA Dimensional Fund Advisors LP
Distribution Agreement The Distribution Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of its Funds, and the Distributor
Distribution Plan(s) One or more of the plans adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the distribution of the Funds’ shares
Distributor Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
DST DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc.
FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
FHLMC The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation
Fitch Fitch Ratings, Inc.
FNMA Federal National Mortgage Association
The Fund(s) or a Fund One or more of the open-end management investment companies listed on the front cover of this SAI
GNMA Government National Mortgage Association
Independent Trustees The Trustees of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds
Interested Trustee A Trustee of the Board who is currently deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds
Investment Manager Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
IRS United States Internal Revenue Service
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 3

 

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Jacobs Levy Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc.
Jennison Jennison Associates LLC
JPMIM J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.
JPMorgan JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the Funds' custodian
KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency
LIBOR London Interbank Offered Rate*
Loomis Sayles Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
Los Angeles Capital Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc.
MFS Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Management Agreement The Management Agreements, as amended, if applicable, between the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, and the Investment Manager
Moody’s Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.
MSIM Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.
NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system
Nations Funds The Funds within the Columbia Funds Complex that historically bore the Nations brand
NAV Net asset value per share of a Fund
NRSRO Nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (such as, for example, Moody’s, Fitch or S&P)
NSCC National Securities Clearing Corporation
NYSE New York Stock Exchange
Nuveen Asset Management Nuveen Asset Management, LLC
Oppenheimer OppenheimerFunds Inc.
Participating Insurance Companies Life insurance companies that issue the variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies through separate accounts for which the Funds serve as underlying investment vehicles
Pyramis FIAM LLC (doing business as Pyramis Global Advisors)
PwC PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
REIT Real estate investment trust
REMIC Real estate mortgage investment conduit
RIC A “regulated investment company,” as such term is used in the Code
RiverSource Funds The Funds within the Columbia Funds Complex that historically bore the RiverSource brand and includes series of CFVST II
S&P Standard & Poor’s, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“Standard & Poor’s” and “S&P” are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by the Investment Manager. The Columbia Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor’s and Standard & Poor’s makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Columbia Funds)
SAI This Statement of Additional Information, as amended and supplemented from time-to-time
SBH Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC
Scout Scout Investments, Inc.
SEC United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Shareholder Services Agreement The Shareholder Services Agreement between the Trust, on behalf of its Funds, and the Transfer Agent
Shares Shares of a Fund
Subadvisory Agreement The Subadvisory Agreement among the Trust on behalf of the Fund(s), the Investment Manager and a Fund’s investment subadviser(s), as the context may require
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 4

 

Subsidiary One or more wholly-owned subsidiaries of a Fund
T. Rowe Price T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
TCW TCW Investment Management Company LLC
Threadneedle Threadneedle International Limited
Transfer Agent Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.
Treasury Regulations Regulations promulgated under the Code by the United States Treasury Department
Trustee(s) One or more members of the Board
Trust Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, the registered investment company in the Columbia Funds Complex to which this SAI relates
VA Contracts Variable annuity contracts
Victory Capital Victory Capital Management Inc.
VLI Policy(ies) Variable life insurance policy(ies)
VP – Managed Volatility Funds Any variable portfolio fund that includes the words “Managed Risk,” “Managed Volatility,” or “U.S. Flexible” as part of the Fund’s name
VP – Portfolio Navigator Funds VP – Aggressive Portfolio, VP – Conservative Portfolio, VP – Moderate Portfolio, VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio and VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio
WellsCap Wells Capital Management Incorporated
Westfield Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P.
William Blair William Blair Investment Management, LLC
Winslow Capital Winslow Capital Management LLC
* On July 27, 2017, the head of the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. There remains uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the nature of any replacement rate.
Throughout this SAI, the Funds are referred to as follows:
Fund Name:   Referred to as:
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund   VP – Balanced Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund   VP – Commodity Strategy Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund   VP – Core Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund   VP – Disciplined Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund   VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund   VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund   VP – Emerging Markets Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund   VP – Global Strategic Income Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund   VP – Government Money Market Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund   VP – High Yield Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund   VP – Income Opportunities Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund   VP – Intermediate Bond Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund   VP – Large Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund   VP – Large Cap Index Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund   VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund   VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund   VP – Overseas Core Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund   VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund   VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund   VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund   VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 5

 

Fund Name:   Referred to as:
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund   VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund
Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund   VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund
CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund   VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund   VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected
Securities Fund
CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund   VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund   VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
CTIVP® – Los Angeles Large Cap Growth Fund   VP – Los Angeles Large Cap Growth Fund
CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund   VP – MFS Value Fund
CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund   VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund   VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund   VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund   VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund   VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund   VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio   VP – Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio   VP – Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund   VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio   VP – Moderate Portfolio
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio   VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio   VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund   VP – Partners Core Bond Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund   VP – Partners Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund   VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund   VP – Partners International Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund   VP – Partners International Value Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund   VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund   VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 6

 

ABOUT THE Trust
The Trust is an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act with an address at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.
The Trust was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 11, 2007. The Trust was formerly named RiverSource Variable Series Trust, and was renamed Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II as of April 25, 2011. The offering of the shares is registered under the 1933 Act.
Each Fund has a fiscal year end of December 31. Each Fund’s prospectus is dated May 1, 2020.
Fund Date Began Operations* Diversified** Fund Investment Category***
VP – Aggressive Portfolio May 7, 2010 Yes Fund-of-funds – Equity
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Balanced Fund April 30, 1986 Yes Flexible
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund September 13, 2004 No Fixed Income
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund April 30, 2013 Yes Equity
VP – Conservative Portfolio May 7, 2010 Yes Fund-of-funds – Fixed Income
VP – Core Equity Fund September 10, 2004 Yes Equity
VP – Disciplined Core Fund October 13, 1981 Yes Equity
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund September 15, 1999 Yes Equity
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund April 30, 2012 No Fixed Income
VP – Emerging Markets Fund May 1, 2000 Yes Equity
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund May 1, 1996 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Government Money Market Fund October 31, 1981 Yes Money Market
VP – High Yield Bond Fund May 1, 1996 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Income Opportunities Fund June 1, 2004 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund October 13, 1981 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund September 15, 1999 Yes Equity
VP – Large Cap Index Fund May 1, 2000 Yes Equity
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund April 19, 2012 Yes Fund-of-funds – Equity
VP – MFS Value Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund May 1, 2001 Yes Equity
VP – Moderate Portfolio May 7, 2010 Yes Fund-of-funds – Equity
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio May 7, 2010 Yes Fund-of-funds – Equity
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio May 7, 2010 Yes Fund-of-funds – Fixed Income
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Overseas Core Fund January 13, 1992 Yes Equity
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 7

 

Fund Date Began Operations* Diversified** Fund Investment Category***
VP – Partners International Growth Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Partners International Value Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund May 1, 2006 Yes Equity
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund August 14, 2001 Yes Equity
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund January 4, 2018 Yes Equity
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund February 4, 2004 Yes Equity
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund May 2, 2005 Yes Equity
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund September 15, 1999 Yes Equity
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund May 1, 1996 No Equity
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Fixed Income
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund September 15, 1999 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund February 4, 2004 Yes Equity
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Fixed Income
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund May 7, 2010 Yes Equity
* Certain Funds reorganized into series of the Trust. The date of operations for these Funds represents the date on which the predecessor funds began operation.
** A “diversified” Fund may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer or purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies. A “non-diversified” Fund may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund, which increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a “diversified” fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, a “non-diversified” Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
*** The Fund Investment Category is used as a convenient way to describe Funds in this SAI and should not be deemed a description of the Fund’s principal investment strategies, which are described in the Fund’s prospectus.
Name Changes. The table below identifies the Funds whose names have changed in the past five years, the effective date of the name change and the former name.
Fund Effective Date of
Name Change
Previous Fund Name
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – American Century Diversified Bond Fund
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund May 1, 2018
June 1, 2016
Variable Portfolio – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund
Variable Portfolio – Morgan Stanley Global Real Estate Fund
VP – Disciplined Core Fund May 1, 2016
Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Core Quantitative Fund
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund November 26, 2018 Columbia Variable Portfolio - Global Bond Fund
VP – Government Money Market Fund May 1, 2016 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Cash Management Fund
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 8

 

Fund Effective Date of
Name Change
Previous Fund Name
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund May 1, 2018
May 1, 2017
Variable Portfolio – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Nuveen Winslow Large Cap Growth Fund
VP – MFS Value Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – MFS Value Fund
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund May 1, 2018
May 1, 2016
Variable Portfolio – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund
Variable Portfolio – Holland Large Cap Growth Fund
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund May 1, 2018 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund
VP – Overseas Core Fund May 1, 2018 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select International Equity Fund
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund May 1, 2017 Variable Portfolio – J.P. Morgan Core Bond Fund
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund May 20, 2019
May 1, 2018
May 1, 2016
CTIVP® – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio – Sit Dividend Growth Fund
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund May 1, 2020
May 21, 2018
May 1, 2018
CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund
CTIVP® – Pyramis® International Equity Fund
Variable Portfolio – Pyramis International Equity Fund
VP – Partners International Growth Fund May 1, 2020
May 20, 2019
May 1, 2018
May 1, 2016
CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund
CTIVP® – Oppenheimer International Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Oppenheimer International Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Invesco International Growth Fund
VP – Partners International Value Fund May 1, 2020
May 1, 2018
CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund
Variable Portfolio – DFA International Value Fund
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund May 1, 2019 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large-Cap Value Fund
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund May 1, 2019 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Value Fund
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund May 1, 2019 Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund May 1, 2018
November 14, 2016
Variable Portfolio – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund
Variable Portfolio – NFJ Dividend Value Fund
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund May 1, 2018
May 1, 2016
Variable Portfolio – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund
Variable Portfolio – Victory Established Value Fund
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund May 1, 2018 Variable Portfolio – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund May 1, 2018
September 18, 2017
Variable Portfolio – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund
Variable Portfolio – Jennison Mid Cap Growth Fund
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 9

 

FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES
The following discussion of “fundamental” and “non-fundamental” investment policies and limitations for each Fund supplements the discussion of investment policies in the Funds' prospectuses. A fundamental policy may be changed only with Board and shareholder approval. A non-fundamental policy may be changed only with Board approval and does not require shareholder approval.
Unless otherwise noted in a Fund’s prospectus or this SAI, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with such percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or asset (Time of Purchase Standard). Thus, a Fund may continue to hold a security even though it causes the Fund to exceed a percentage limitation because of fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s assets.
Notwithstanding any of a Fund’s other investment policies, the Fund, subject to certain limitations, may invest its assets in another investment company. These underlying funds have adopted their own investment policies that may be more or less restrictive than those of the Fund. Unless a Fund has a policy to consider the policies of underlying funds, the Fund may engage in investment strategies indirectly that would otherwise be prohibited under the Fund’s investment policies.
In adhering to the fundamental and non-fundamental investment restrictions and policies applicable to VP – Commodity Strategy Fund, the Fund will, to the extent possible, treat any assets of its Subsidiary generally as if the assets were held directly by the Fund.
For all Funds except VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund: Notwithstanding any of a Fund’s other investment policies, the Fund may invest its assets in an open-end management investment company having substantially the same investment objectives, policies, and restrictions as the Fund for the purpose of having those assets managed as part of a combined pool.
Notwithstanding the policies set forth in this SAI for VP Government Money Market Fund, the Fund will comply with the applicable provisions of Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act (Rule 2a-7).
Fundamental Policies
The table below shows Fund-specific policies that may be changed only with a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund, which means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The table indicates whether or not a fund has a policy on a particular topic. A dash indicates that the Fund does not have a Fundamental policy on a particular topic. The specific policy is stated in the paragraphs that follow the table.
Fund A
Buy or
sell real
estate
B
Buy or sell
commodities
C
Issuer Diversification
D
Lending
E
Act as an
underwriter
F
Borrow
money
G
Issue
Senior
Securities
H
Concentration
VP – Aggressive Portfolio A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Balanced Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund A1 B1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H4
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund A1 B6 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H5
VP – Conservative Portfolio A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Core Equity Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Disciplined Core Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Emerging Markets Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund A1 B5 D1 E1 F1 G1 H3
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund A1 B1 C3 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Government Money Market Fund A2 A2 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1
VP – High Yield Bond Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 10

 

Fund A
Buy or
sell real
estate
B
Buy or sell
commodities
C
Issuer Diversification
D
Lending
E
Act as an
underwriter
F
Borrow
money
G
Issue
Senior
Securities
H
Concentration
VP – Income Opportunities Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Large Cap Index Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund A1 B1 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H6
VP – MFS Value Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Moderate Portfolio A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Overseas Core Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners International Growth Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners International Value Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund A1 B2 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund A1 B2 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund A4 B7 C2 D3 E3 F3 G1 H7
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund A1 B2 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund A3 B3 D2 E2 F2 F2 H2
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund A1 B2 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund A1 B4 C2 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1
A. Buy or sell real estate
A1 – The Fund will not buy or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or real estate investment trusts. For purposes of this policy, real estate includes real estate limited partnerships.
A2 – The Fund will not buy or sell real estate, commodities or commodity contracts. For purposes of this policy, real estate includes real estate limited partnerships.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 11

 

A3 – The Fund will not purchase or hold any real estate, except the Fund may invest in securities secured by real estate or interests therein or issued by persons (including real estate investment trusts) which deal in real estate or interests therein.
A4 – The Fund will not buy or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in: (i) securities or other instruments backed by real estate or interests in real estate, (ii) securities or other instruments of issuers or entities that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, (iii) real estate investment trusts (REITs) or entities similar to REITs formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries or (iv) real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of securities secured by real estate or interests therein.
B. Buy or sell physical commodities
B1 – The Fund will not buy or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from buying or selling options and futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by, or whose value is derived from, physical commodities.
B2 – The Fund will not buy or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from buying or selling options, futures contracts and foreign currency or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by, or whose value is derived from, physical commodities.
B3 – The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except to the extent permissible under applicable law and interpretations, as they may be amended from time to time.
B4 – The Fund will not buy or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from buying or selling options, futures contracts and foreign currency or from entering into forward currency contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by, or whose value is derived from, physical commodities.
B5 – The Fund will not buy or sell commodities unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the fund from transacting in derivative instruments relating to commodities, including but not limited to, buying or selling options, swap contracts or futures contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by, or whose value is derived from, commodities.
B6 – The Fund will not buy or sell commodities, except that the Fund may to the extent consistent with its investment objective(s), invest in securities of companies that purchase or sell commodities or which invest in such programs, and purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, and options on futures contracts and enter into swap contracts and other financial transactions relating to commodities. This restriction does not apply to foreign currency transactions including without limitation forward currency contracts. This restriction also does not prevent the Fund from investing up to 25% of its total assets in one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries (as described further herein and referred to herein collectively as the “Subsidiary”), thereby gaining exposure to the investment returns of commodities markets within the limitations of the federal tax requirements.*
B7 – The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

* For purposes of the fundamental investment policy on buying and selling physical commodities above, at the time of the establishment of the restriction for certain Funds, swap contracts on financial instruments or rates were not within the understanding of the term “commodities.” Notwithstanding any federal legislation or regulatory action by the CFTC that subjects such swaps to regulation by the CFTC, these Funds will not consider such instruments to be commodities for purposes of this restriction.
C. Issuer Diversification*†
C1 – The Fund will not purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer, except that up to 25% of the Fund’s assets may be invested without regard to this 10% limitation.
C2 – The Fund will not purchase securities (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) of any one issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets will be invested in the securities of such issuer or it would own more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer, except that: (a) up to 25% of its
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 12

 

  total assets may be invested without regard to these limitations; and (b) a Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, or any applicable exemptive relief.
C3 – The Fund will not purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of an issuer, except that up to 25% of the Fund’s assets may be invested without regard to this 10% limitation. For tax-exempt Funds, for purposes of this policy, the terms of a municipal security determine the issuer.

* For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its issuer diversification policy above, a Fund does not consider futures or swaps central counterparties, where the Fund has exposure to such central counterparties in the course of making investments in futures and securities, to be issuers.
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its issuer diversification policy, under certain circumstances, a Fund may treat an investment, if any, in a municipal bond refunded with escrowed U.S. Government securities as an investment in U.S. Government securities.
D. Lending
D1 – The Fund will not lend securities or participate in an interfund lending program if the total of all such loans would exceed 33 13% of the Fund’s total assets, except this fundamental investment policy shall not prohibit the Fund from purchasing money market securities, loans, loan participation or other debt securities, or from entering into repurchase agreements.
D2 – The Fund will not make loans, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or any rule thereunder, any SEC or SEC staff interpretations thereof or any exemptions therefrom which may be granted by the SEC.
D3 – The Fund will not make loans, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
E. Act as an underwriter
E1 – The Fund will not act as an underwriter (sell securities for others). However, under the securities laws, the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when it purchases securities directly from the issuer and later resells them.
E2 – The Fund will not underwrite the securities of other issuers, except insofar as the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the 1933 Act in disposing of a portfolio security or in connection with investments in other investment companies.
E3 – The Fund will not underwrite any issue of securities issued by other persons within the meaning of the 1933 Act except when it might be deemed to be an underwriter either: (i) in connection with the disposition of a portfolio security; or (ii) in connection with the purchase of securities directly from the issuer where the Fund later resells such securities. This restriction shall not limit the Fund’s ability to invest in securities issued by other registered investment companies.
F. Borrowing
F1 – The Fund will not borrow money, except for temporary purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 13% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) immediately after the borrowings.
F2 – The Fund will not issue senior securities or borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act or any rule thereunder, any SEC or SEC staff interpretations thereof or any exceptions therefrom which may be granted by the SEC. For borrowing, the 1940 Act permits a fund to borrow up to 33 13% of its total assets (including the amounts borrowed) from banks, plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, which may be borrowed from banks or other sources.
F3 – The Fund will not borrow money except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
G. Issue senior securities
G1 – The Fund will not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
H. Concentration*
H1 – The Fund will not concentrate in any one industry. According to the present interpretation by the SEC, this means that up to 25% of the Fund’s total assets, based on current market value at time of purchase, can be invested in any one industry.
H2 – The Fund will, under normal market conditions, invest at least 25% of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase in the securities of issuers conducting their principal business activities in the technology and related group
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 13

 

  of industries, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies or subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
H3 – While the Fund may invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of foreign governmental and corporate entities located in the same country, it will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in any single foreign governmental issuer.
H4 – The Fund will not invest more than 25% of the market value of its total assets in the securities of issuers in any particular industry, except the Fund will invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in securities of issuers principally engaged in the real estate industry and may invest without limit in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.
H5 – The Fund will not invest 25% or more of its total assets in securities of corporate issuers engaged in any one industry. The foregoing restriction does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or repurchase agreements secured by them. In addition, the foregoing restriction shall not apply to or limit the Fund’s counterparties in commodities-related transactions.
H6 – The Fund will not purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
H7 – The Fund will not purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more investment companies or subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.

* For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its concentration policy, above, a Fund will generally use the industry classifications provided by the Global Industry Classification System (GICS) for classification of issuers of equity securities and the classifications provided by the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index for classification of issues of fixed-income securities. A Fund does not consider futures or swaps clearinghouses or securities clearinghouses, where the Fund has exposure to such clearinghouses in the course of making investments in futures and securities, to be part of any industry.
In addition to the policies described above and any fundamental policy described in the prospectus:
Additionally for VP – Government Money Market Fund, the Fund will not:
Buy on margin or sell short or deal in options to buy or sell securities.
Purchase common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, other equity securities, corporate bonds or debentures, state bonds, municipal bonds, or industrial revenue bonds.
Intentionally invest more than 25% of the Fund’s assets taken at market value in any particular industry, except with respect to investing in U.S. government or agency securities and bank obligations. Investments are varied according to what is judged advantageous under different economic conditions.
Additionally for VP – Seligman Global Technology, the Fund will not:
Purchase securities on margin except as permitted by the 1940 Act or any rule thereunder, any Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or SEC staff interpretations thereof or any exemptions therefrom which may be granted by the SEC.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 14

 

Non-fundamental Policies
The following non-fundamental policies may be changed by the Board at any time and may be in addition to those described in the Funds' prospectus.
Investment in Illiquid Investments
For money market funds: No more than 5% of a money market fund’s total assets will be held in securities and other instruments that are illiquid. For purposes of this policy, an illiquid security is a security that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven calendar days at approximately the value ascribed to it by the Fund.
For any other fund: No Fund may acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. For these purposes, an “illiquid investment” means any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Investment in Other Investment Companies
The Funds may not purchase securities of other investment companies except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
Investment in Foreign Securities
For all funds EXCEPT Fund-of-funds, VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund, VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund, VP – Emerging Markets Fund, VP – Global Strategic Income Fund, VP – Government Money Market Fund, VP – Large Cap Index Fund, VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund, VP – Overseas Core Fund, VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund, VP – Partners International Growth Fund, and VP – Partners International Value Fund:
Up to 25% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign investments.
For VP – Balanced Fund, VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund, and VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund:
Up to 20% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign investments.
For VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund:
Up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in foreign investments.
For VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund:
Up to 15% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in foreign investments.
For VP – Government Money Market Fund:
The Fund will not (subject to the succeeding sentence) purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to government securities, cash and/or repurchase agreements collateralized solely by government securities or cash; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. If, at a future date, the Fund ceases to be a government money market fund and becomes a money market fund that may invest significantly in Rule 2a-7 eligible securities issued by non-government entities, the Fund may invest more than 25% of its total assets in money market instruments issued by U.S. banks or U.S. branches of foreign banks (subject to the applicable requirements of Rule 2a-7) and U.S. Government securities.
For VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund:
The Fund will not invest in oil, gas or other mineral exploration or development programs; provided, however, that this investment restriction shall not prohibit the fund from purchasing publicly-traded securities of companies engaging in whole or in part in such activities.
The Fund will not purchase securities from or sell securities to any of its officers or Trustees, except with respect to its own shares and as permissible under applicable statutes, rule ad regulations.
The Fund will not invest more than 5% of the value of its net assets, valued at the lower of cost or market, in warrants, of which no more than 2% of net assets may be invested in warrants and rights not listed on the New York or American Stock Exchange. For this purpose, warrants acquired by the fund in units or attached to securities may be deemed to have been purchased without cost.
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Names Rule Policy
To the extent a Fund is subject to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (the Names Rule), and does not otherwise have a fundamental policy in place to comply with the Names Rule, such Fund has adopted the following non-fundamental policy: Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective or principal investment strategies made in order to comply with the Names Rule. The notice will be provided in plain English in a separate written document, and will contain the following prominent statement or similar statement in bold-face type: “Important Notice Regarding Change in Investment Policy.” This statement will appear on both the notice and the envelope in which it is delivered, unless it is delivered separately from other communications to investors, in which case the statement will appear either on the notice or the envelope in which the notice is delivered. A Fund subject to a fundamental policy in place to comply with the Names Rule will disclose in the More Information About the Fund section of its prospectus that its 80% policy cannot be changed without shareholder approval.
To the extent that the Fund counts derivatives towards compliance with its 80% policy, such instruments will be valued based on their market value or fair value (determined in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures) or, when the adviser determines that the notional value of such instruments is a more appropriate measure of the Fund’s exposure to economic characteristics of investments that are consistent with the Fund’s 80% policy, at such notional value.
Additional Information About Concentration
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund may indirectly concentrate in a particular industry or group of industries through investments in underlying funds.
Summary of 1940 Act Restrictions on Certain Activities
Certain of the Fund’s fundamental and, if any, non-fundamental policies set forth above prohibit transactions “except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.” The following discussion summarizes the flexibility that the Fund currently gains from these exceptions. To the extent the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder may, in the future, be amended to provide greater flexibility, or to the extent the SEC may in the future grant exemptive relief providing greater flexibility, the Fund will be able to use that flexibility without seeking shareholder approval of its fundamental policies.
Borrowing money – The 1940 Act permits a Fund to borrow up to 33 13% of its total assets (including the amounts borrowed) from banks, plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, which may be borrowed from banks or other sources. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Funds to borrow money subject to these conditions. Compliance with this limitation is not measured under the Time of Purchase Standard (meaning, a Fund may not exceed these thresholds including if, after borrowing, the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market fluctuations).
Buy or sell physical commodities – The 1940 Act does not directly limit a Fund’s ability to invest directly in physical commodities. However, a Fund’s direct and indirect investments in physical commodities may be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a RIC, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. One of the requirements for favorable tax treatment as a RIC under the Code is that a Fund derive at least 90 percent of its gross income from certain qualifying sources of income. Income and gains from direct commodities investments, and from certain indirect investments therein, do not constitute qualifying income for this purpose. A Fund that qualifies for an exclusion from the definition of a commodity pool under the CEA and has on file a notice of exclusion under CFTC Rule 4.5 is limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”).
Investing in other investment companies – The 1940 Act, in summary, provides that a fund generally may not: (i) purchase more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of another investment company; (ii) purchase securities issued by another investment company in an amount representing more than 5% of the investing fund’s total assets; or (iii) purchase securities issued by investment companies that in the aggregate represent more than 10% of the acquiring fund’s total assets (the “3, 5 and 10 Rule”). Affiliated funds-of-funds (i.e., those funds that invest in other funds within the same fund family), with respect to investments in such affiliated underlying funds, are not subject to the 3, 5 and 10 Rule and, therefore, may invest in affiliated underlying funds without restriction. A fund-of-funds may also invest its assets in unaffiliated funds, but the fund-of-funds generally may not purchase more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one unaffiliated fund. Additionally, certain exceptions to these limitations apply to investments in money market open-end funds. If shares of the Fund are purchased by an affiliated fund beyond the 3, 5 and 10 Rule in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, for so long as shares of the Fund are held by such other affiliated fund beyond the 3, 5 and 10 Rule, the Fund will not purchase securities of a registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. In December 2018, the SEC issued a proposed rulemaking package related to investments in other investment companies that, if adopted, could require the Funds to adjust their investments.
Issuing senior securities – A “senior security” is an obligation with respect to the earnings or assets of a company that takes precedence over the claims of that company’s common stock with respect to the same earnings or assets. The 1940 Act prohibits an open-end fund from issuing senior securities other than certain borrowings from a bank, but SEC staff interpretations allow a
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Fund to engage in certain types of transactions that otherwise might raise senior security concerns (such as short sales, buying and selling financial futures contracts and other derivative instruments and selling put and call options), provided that the Fund segregates or designates on the Fund’s books and records liquid assets, or, as permitted in accordance with SEC staff interpretations, otherwise covers the transaction with offsetting portfolio securities, in amounts sufficient to offset any liability associated with the transaction. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Fund to operate in reliance upon these staff interpretations.
Making loans (Lending) – Under the 1940 Act, an open-end fund may loan money or property to persons who do not control and are not under common control with the Fund, except that a Fund may make loans to a wholly-owned subsidiary. In addition, the SEC staff takes the position that a Fund may not lend portfolio securities representing more than one-third of the Fund’s total value. A Fund must receive from the borrower collateral at least equal in value to the loaned securities, marked to market daily. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Fund to make loans to third parties, including loans of its portfolio securities, subject to these conditions.
Purchase of securities on margin – A purchase on margin involves a loan from the broker-dealer arranging the transaction. The “margin” is the cash or securities that the buyer/borrower places with the broker-dealer as collateral against the loan. However, the purchase of securities on margin is effectively prohibited by the 1940 Act because the Fund generally may borrow only from banks. Thus, under current law, this exception does not provide any additional flexibility to the Fund.
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ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS
The Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and related principal risks are discussed in each Fund’s prospectus. The Fund’s prospectus identifies the types of securities in which the Fund invests principally and summarizes the principal risks to the Fund’s portfolio as a whole associated with such investments. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus or this SAI, the investment objective and policies of a Fund may be changed without shareholder approval.
To the extent that a type of security identified in the table below for a Fund is not described in the Fund’s prospectus (or as a sub-category of such security type in this SAI), the Fund generally invests in such security type, if at all, as part of its non-principal investment strategies.
Information about individual types of securities (including certain of their associated risks) in which some or all of the Funds may invest is set forth below. The Fund may invest in these types of securities, subject to its investment objective and fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies. A Fund is not required to invest in any or all of the types of securities listed below.
Funds-of-funds invest in a combination of underlying funds, although they may also invest directly in stocks, bonds and other securities. These underlying funds have their own investment strategies and types of investments they are allowed to engage in and purchase. Funds-of-funds may invest directly or indirectly through investments in underlying funds, in securities and other instruments and may engage in the investment strategies indicated in the table below.
Certain Investment Activity Limits. The overall investment and other activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates may limit the investment opportunities for each Fund in certain markets, industries or transactions or in individual issuers where limitations are imposed upon the aggregate amount of investment by the Funds and other accounts managed by the Investment Manager and accounts of its affiliates (collectively, affiliated investors). From time to time, each Fund’s activities also may be restricted because of regulatory restrictions applicable to the Investment Manager and its affiliates and/or because of their internal policies. See Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest.
Temporary Defensive Positions. Each Fund may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund may take such defensive investment positions for as long a period as deemed necessary.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures. A Fund may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in derivatives, such as forward contracts, futures contracts, options, structured investments and swaps, for various purposes, including among others, investing in particular derivatives in seeking to reduce investment exposure, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposure, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager (or Fund subadviser, if applicable) believes such defensive positioning is appropriate. Each Fund may do so without limit and for as long a period as deemed necessary, when the Investment Manager or the Fund’s subadviser, if applicable: (i) believes that market conditions are not favorable for profitable investing or to avoid losses, (ii) is unable to locate favorable investment opportunities; or (iii) determines that a temporary defensive position is advisable or necessary in order to meet anticipated redemption requests, or for other reasons. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance.
Types of Investments
A black circle indicates that the investment strategy or type of investment generally is authorized for a category of Funds. Exceptions are noted following the table. See About the Trust for fund investment categories.
Type of Investment Equity
and
Flexible
Funds-of-Funds
– Equity and Fixed Income
Taxable
Fixed
Income
Money
Market
Asset-Backed Securities
Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign)
Collateralized Bond Obligations
Commercial Paper
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Type of Investment Equity
and
Flexible
Funds-of-Funds
– Equity and Fixed Income
Taxable
Fixed
Income
Money
Market
Common Stock •A
Convertible Securities
Corporate Debt Securities •B
Custody Receipts and Trust Certificates
Debt Obligations
Depositary Receipts •C
Derivatives
Dollar Rolls •D
Exchange-Traded Notes
Foreign Currency Transactions
Foreign Securities
Guaranteed Investment Contracts (Funding Agreements)
High-Yield Securities
Illiquid Investments
Inflation-Protected Securities
Initial Public Offerings
Inverse Floaters •E
Investments in Other Investment Companies (Including ETFs)
Listed Private Equity Funds
Money Market Instruments
Mortgage-Backed Securities •F
Municipal Securities
Participation Interests
Partnership Securities
Preferred Stock •G
Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Repurchase Agreements
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Short Sales
Sovereign Debt
Standby Commitments
U.S. Government and Related Obligations
Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations •H •I
Warrants and Rights
A. The following Fund is not authorized to invest in Common Stock: VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund.
B. While the Fund is prohibited from investing in corporate bonds, it may invest in securities classified as corporate bonds if they meet the requirements of Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act.
C. The following Fund is not authorized to invest in Depository Receipts: VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund.
D. The following Funds are authorized to invest in Dollar Rolls: VP – Balanced Fund, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund, VP – Core Equity Fund, VP – Disciplined Core Fund and VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund.
E. The following Funds are authorized to invest in Inverse Floaters: VP – Balanced Fund, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund, VP – Disciplined Core Fund and VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund.
F. The following Funds are not authorized to invest in Mortgage-Backed Securities: VP – Large Cap Index Fund and VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund.
G. The following Fund is not authorized to invest in Preferred Stock: VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund.
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H. The following Funds are authorized to invest in Floating-Rate Loans: VP – Balanced, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund and VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund.
I. The Fund is not authorized to invest in floating rate loans. This restriction is not intended to prevent the Fund from investing in variable and floating rate instruments that are permissible investments for money market funds under Rule 2a-7.
Asset-Backed Securities
Asset-backed securities represent interests in, or debt instruments that are backed by, pools of various types of assets that generate cash payments generally over fixed periods of time, such as, among others, motor vehicle installment sales, contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from revolving (credit card) agreements. Such securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions (i.e., principal and interest) that are tied to the payments made by the borrower on the underlying assets (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying assets effectively pass through to such security holders. Asset-backed securities typically are created by an originator of loans or owner of accounts receivable that sells such underlying assets to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the payments on the underlying assets, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. Asset-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. Collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) are examples of asset-backed securities. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with asset-backed securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign)
Bank obligations include certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, time deposits and promissory notes that earn a specified rate of return and may be issued by (i) a domestic branch of a domestic bank, (ii) a foreign branch of a domestic bank, (iii) a domestic branch of a foreign bank or (iv) a foreign branch of a foreign bank. Bank obligations may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.
Certificates of deposit, or so-called CDs, typically are interest-bearing debt instruments issued by banks and have maturities ranging from a few weeks to several years. Yankee dollar certificates of deposit are negotiable CDs issued in the United States by branches and agencies of foreign banks. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are CDs issued by foreign banks with interest and principal paid in U.S. dollars. Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar CDs typically have maturities of less than two years and have interest rates that typically are pegged to a reference rate, such as LIBOR. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on and accepted by banks, are a customary means of effecting payment for merchandise sold in import-export transactions and are a general source of financing. A time deposit can be either a savings account or CD that is an obligation of a financial institution for a fixed term. Typically, there are penalties for early withdrawals of time deposits. Promissory notes are written commitments of the maker to pay the payee a specified sum of money either on demand or at a fixed or determinable future date, with or without interest.
Bank investment contracts are issued by banks. Pursuant to such contracts, a Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of a bank. The bank then credits to the Fund payments at floating or fixed interest rates. A Fund also may hold funds on deposit with its custodian for temporary purposes.
Certain bank obligations, such as some CDs, are insured by the FDIC up to certain specified limits. Many other bank obligations, however, are neither guaranteed nor insured by the FDIC or the U.S. Government. These bank obligations are “backed” only by the creditworthiness of the issuing bank or parent financial institution. Domestic and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulation. Accordingly, certain obligations of foreign banks, including Eurodollar and Yankee dollar obligations, involve different and/or heightened investment risks than those affecting obligations of domestic banks, including, among others, the possibilities that: (i) their liquidity could be impaired because of political or economic developments; (ii) the obligations may be less marketable than comparable obligations of domestic banks; (iii) a foreign jurisdiction might impose withholding and other taxes at high levels on interest income; (iv) foreign deposits may be seized or nationalized; (v) foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls may be imposed, which could adversely affect the payment of principal and/or interest on those obligations; (vi) there may be less publicly available information concerning foreign banks issuing the obligations; and (vii) the reserve requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to foreign banks may differ (including, less stringent) from those applicable to domestic banks. Foreign banks generally are not subject to examination by any U.S. Government agency or instrumentality. See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with bank obligations include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Collateralized Bond Obligations
Collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) are investment grade bonds backed by a pool of bonds, which may include junk bonds (which are considered speculative investments). CBOs are similar in concept to collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), but differ in that CBOs represent different degrees of credit quality rather than different maturities. (See Types of Investments – Mortgage-Backed Securities and – Asset-Backed Securities.) CBOs are often privately offered and sold, and thus not registered under the federal securities laws.
Underwriters of CBOs package a large and diversified pool of high-risk, high-yield junk bonds, which is then structured into “tranches.” Typically, the first tranche represents a senior claim on collateral and pays the lowest interest rate; the second tranche is junior to the first tranche and therefore subject to greater risk and pays a higher rate; the third tranche is junior to both the first and second tranche, represents the lowest credit quality and instead of receiving a fixed interest rate receives the residual interest payments — money that is left over after the higher tranches have been paid. CBOs, like CMOs, are substantially overcollateralized and this, plus the diversification of the pool backing them, may earn certain of the tranches investment-grade bond ratings. Holders of third-tranche CBOs stand to earn higher or lower yields depending on the rate of defaults in the collateral pool. See Types of Investments – High-Yield Securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with CBOs include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Commercial Paper
Commercial paper is a short-term debt obligation, usually sold on a discount basis, with a maturity ranging from 2 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers. It is sold to investors with temporary idle cash as a way to increase returns on a short-term basis. These instruments are generally unsecured, which increases the credit risk associated with this type of investment. See Types of Investments — Debt Obligations and — Illiquid Investments. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with commercial paper include: Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk.
Common Stock
Common stock represents a unit of equity ownership of a corporation. Owners typically are entitled to vote on the selection of directors and other important corporate governance matters, and to receive dividend payments, if any, on their holdings. However, ownership of common stock does not entitle owners to participate in the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Common stocks of domestic and foreign public corporations can be listed, and their shares traded, on domestic stock exchanges, such as the NYSE or the NASDAQ Stock Market. Domestic and foreign corporations also may have their shares traded on foreign exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange or Tokyo Stock Exchange. See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities. Common stock may be privately placed or publicly offered. The price of common stock is generally determined by corporate earnings, type of products or services offered, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and market conditions generally. In the event that a corporation declares bankruptcy or is liquidated, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock. See Types of Investments – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities, – Preferred Stock and – Convertible Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with common stock include: Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio or predetermined price (the conversion price). As such, convertible securities combine the investment characteristics of debt securities and equity securities. A holder of convertible securities is entitled to receive the income of a bond, debenture or note or the dividend of a preferred stock until the conversion privilege is exercised. The market value of convertible securities generally is a function of, among other factors, interest rates, the rates of return of similar nonconvertible securities and the financial strength of the issuer. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, conversely, to rise as interest rates decline. However, a convertible security’s market value tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price approaches or is greater than its conversion price. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the rate of return of the convertible security. Because both interest rate and common stock’s market movements can influence their
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value, convertible securities generally are not as sensitive to changes in interest rates as similar non-convertible debt securities nor generally as sensitive to changes in share price as the underlying common stock. Convertible securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities, — Common Stock, — Corporate Debt Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Certain convertible securities may have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities (of the same or a different issuer) at a specified date and at a specified exchange ratio. Certain convertible securities may be convertible at the option of the issuer, which may require a holder to convert the security into the underlying common stock, even at times when the value of the underlying common stock or other equity security has declined substantially. In addition, some convertible securities may be rated below investment grade or may not be rated and, therefore, may be considered speculative investments. Companies that issue convertible securities frequently are small- and mid-capitalization companies and, accordingly, carry the risks associated with such companies. In addition, the credit rating of a company’s convertible securities generally is lower than that of its conventional debt securities. Convertible securities are senior to equity securities and have a claim to the assets of an issuer prior to the holders of the issuer’s common stock in the event of liquidation but generally are subordinate to similar non-convertible debt securities of the same issuer. Some convertible securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their predetermined conversion price is much higher than the price for the issuing company’s common stock.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with convertible securities include: Convertible Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk, and Reinvestment Risk.
Corporate Debt Securities
Corporate debt securities are long and short term fixed income securities typically issued by businesses to finance their operations. Corporate debt securities are issued by public or private companies, as distinct from debt securities issued by a government or its agencies. The issuer of a corporate debt security often has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal periodically or on a specified maturity date. Corporate debt securities typically have four distinguishing features: (1) they are taxable; (2) they have a par value of $1,000; (3) they have a term maturity, which means they come due at a specified time period; and (4) many are traded on major securities exchanges. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their interest rates, maturity dates and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and usually is unsecured, as are debentures. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. The category also includes bank loans, as well as assignments, participations and other interests in bank loans. Corporate debt securities may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may be structured as fixed-, variable or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. They may also be senior or subordinated obligations. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities, — Debt Obligations, — Commercial Paper and — High-Yield Securities for more information.
Extendible commercial notes (ECNs) are very similar to commercial paper except that, with ECNs, the issuer has the option to extend the notes’ maturity. ECNs are issued at a discount rate, with an initial redemption of not more than 90 days from the date of issue. If ECNs are not redeemed by the issuer on the initial redemption date, the issuer will pay a premium (step-up) rate based on the ECN’s credit rating at the time.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of issuers, corporate debt securities can have widely varying risk/return profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated by an NRSRO as investment grade may have a relatively modest return on principal but present relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued, for example, by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by an NRSRO may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with corporate debt securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
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Custody Receipts and Trust Certificates
Custody receipts and trust certificates are derivative products that evidence direct ownership in a pool of securities. Typically, a sponsor will deposit a pool of securities with a custodian in exchange for custody receipts evidencing interests in those securities. The sponsor generally then will sell the custody receipts or trust certificates in negotiated transactions at varying prices. Each custody receipt or trust certificate evidences the individual securities in the pool and the holder of a custody receipt or trust certificate generally will have all the rights and privileges of owners of those securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with custody receipts and trust certificates include: Liquidity Risk and Counterparty Risk. In addition, custody receipts and trust certificates generally are subject to the same risks as the securities evidenced by the receipts or certificates.
Debt Obligations
Many different types of debt obligations exist (for example, bills, bonds, and notes). Issuers of debt obligations have a contractual obligation to pay interest at a fixed, variable or floating rate on specified dates and to repay principal by a specified maturity date. Certain debt obligations (usually intermediate and long-term bonds) have provisions that allow the issuer to redeem or “call” a bond before its maturity. Issuers are most likely to call these securities during periods of falling interest rates. When this happens, an investor may have to replace these securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return.
The market value of debt obligations is affected primarily by changes in prevailing interest rates and the issuer’s perceived ability to repay the debt. The market value of a debt obligation generally reacts inversely to interest rate changes. When prevailing interest rates decline, the market value of the bond usually rises, and when prevailing interest rates rise, the market value of the bond usually declines.
In general, the longer the maturity of a debt obligation, the higher its yield and the greater the sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Conversely, the shorter the maturity, the lower the yield and the lower the sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
As noted, the values of debt obligations also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the quality rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal. To compensate investors for taking on such increased risk, those issuers deemed to be less creditworthy generally must offer their investors higher interest rates than do issuers with better credit ratings. See Types of Investments — Corporate Debt Securities, — High-Yield Securities and — Preferred Stock - Trust-Preferred Securities for information.
Event-Linked Instruments/Catastrophe Bonds. A Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in “event-linked bonds” or “event-linked swaps” or by implementing “event-linked strategies.” Event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent on, or formulaically related to, defined trigger events. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena or statistics relating to such events. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” If a trigger event occurs, the principal amount of the bond is reduced (potentially to zero), and a Fund may lose all or a portion of its entire principal invested in the bond or the entire notional amount on a swap.
Stripped Securities. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal payments of a debt security and evidence ownership in either the future interest or principal payments on an instrument. There are many different types and variations of stripped securities. For example, Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal Securities (STRIPS) can be component parts of a U.S. Treasury security where the principal and interest components are traded independently through DTC, a clearing agency registered pursuant to Section 17A of the 1934 Act and created to hold securities for its participants, and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic computerized book-entries, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Treasury Investor Growth Receipts (TIGERs) are U.S. Treasury securities stripped by brokers. Stripped mortgage-backed securities, (SMBS) also can be issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Stripped securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations.
SMBS usually are structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage-backed assets. Common types of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage-backed assets, while another class receives most of the interest and the remainder of the principal.
See Types of Investments – Mortgage-Backed Securities, – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations and – U.S. Government and Related Obligations for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with stripped securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Stripped Securities Risk
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions. When-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by a Fund, with payment and delivery taking place in the future after the customary settlement period for that type of security. Normally, the settlement date occurs within 45 days of the
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purchase although in some cases settlement may take longer. The investor does not pay for the securities or receive dividends or interest on them until the contractual settlement date. When engaging in when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions, a Fund typically will designate liquid assets in an amount equal to or greater than the purchase price. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities, are fixed at the time that a Fund agrees to purchase the securities. A Fund generally will enter into when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions only with the intention of completing such transactions.
However, a Fund’s portfolio manager may determine not to complete a transaction if he or she deems it appropriate to close out the transaction prior to its completion. In such cases, a Fund may realize short-term gains or losses. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information.
To Be Announced Securities (“TBAs”). As with other delayed delivery transactions, a seller agrees to issue a TBA security at a future date. However, the seller does not specify the particular securities to be delivered. Instead, the Fund agrees to accept any security that meets specified terms. For example, in a TBA mortgage-backed security transaction, the Fund and the seller would agree upon the issuer, interest rate and terms of the underlying mortgages. The seller would not identify the specific underlying mortgages until it issues the security. TBA mortgage-backed securities increase market risks because the underlying mortgages may be less favorable than anticipated by the Fund. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information. In order to better define contractual rights and to secure rights that will help a Fund mitigate their counterparty risk, TBA transactions may be entered into by a Fund under Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements (each, an “MSFTA”). An MSFTA typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of default and/or termination event. The collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement and comparing that amount to the value of the collateral currently pledged by a fund and the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to a Fund are not fully collateralized, contractually or otherwise, a Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk and Market Risk.
Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities. Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities are types of debt instruments that do not necessarily make payments of interest in fixed amounts or at fixed intervals. Asset-backed securities, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities.
Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest on a current basis but instead accrue interest over the life of the security. These securities include, among others, zero-coupon bonds, which either may be issued at a discount by a corporation or government entity or may be created by a brokerage firm when it strips the coupons from a bond or note and then sells the bond or note and the coupon separately. This technique is used frequently with U.S. Treasury bonds, and zero-coupon securities are marketed under such names as CATS (Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities), TIGERs or STRIPS. Zero-coupon bonds also are issued by municipalities. Buying a municipal zero-coupon bond frees its purchaser of the obligation to pay regular federal income tax on imputed interest, since the interest is exempt for regular federal income tax purposes. Zero-coupon certificates of deposit and zero-coupon mortgages are generally structured in the same fashion as zero-coupon bonds; the certificate of deposit holder or mortgage holder receives face value at maturity and no payments until then.
Pay-in-kind securities normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or to give the holder of the security a similar security with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.
Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest that gradually increases over time. The coupon rate is paid according to a schedule for a series of periods, typically lower for an initial period and then increasing to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issue.
Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities holders generally have substantially all the rights and privileges of holders of the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations. Holders of these securities typically have the right upon default on the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations to proceed directly and individually against the issuer and are not required to act in concert with other holders of such securities.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with zero-coupon, step-coupon, and pay-in-kind securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk and Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk.
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Determining Investment Grade for Purposes of Investment Policies. Unless otherwise stated in the Fund’s prospectus, when determining, under a Fund’s investment policies, whether a debt instrument is investment grade or below investment grade for purposes of purchase by the Fund, the Fund will apply a particular credit quality rating methodology, as described within the Fund’s shareholder reports, when available. These methodologies typically make use of credit quality ratings assigned by a third-party rating agency or agencies, when available. Credit quality ratings assigned by a rating agency are subjective opinions, not statements of fact, and are subject to change, including daily. Credit quality ratings apply to the Fund’s debt instrument investments and not the Fund itself.
Ratings limitations under a Fund’s investment policies are applied at the time of purchase by a Fund. Subsequent to purchase, a debt instrument may cease to be rated by a rating agency or its rating may be reduced by a rating agency(ies) below the minimum required for purchase by a Fund. Neither event will require the sale of such debt instrument, but it may be a factor in considering whether to continue to hold the instrument. Unless otherwise stated in a Fund’s prospectus or in this SAI, a Fund may invest in debt instruments that are not rated by a rating agency. When a debt instrument is not rated by a rating agency, the Investment Manager or, as applicable, a Fund subadviser determines, at the time of purchase, whether such debt instrument is of investment grade or below investment grade (e.g., junk bond) quality. A Fund’s debt instrument holdings that are not rated by a rating agency are typically referred to as “Not Rated” within the Fund’s shareholder reports.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with debt obligations include: Confidential Information Access Risk, Credit Risk, Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk, Impairment of Collateral Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
Determining Average Maturity. When determining the average maturity of a Fund's portfolio, the Fund may use the effective maturity of a portfolio security by, among other things, adjusting for interest rate reset dates, call dates or “put” dates.
Depositary Receipts
See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities below.
Derivatives
General
Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or a bond), assets (such as a commodity, like gold), reference rates (such as LIBOR), market indices (such as the S& P 500® Index) or customized baskets of securities or instruments. Some forms of derivatives, such as exchange-traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indices, are traded on regulated exchanges. These types of derivatives are standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold, and whose market values are determined and published daily. Non-standardized derivatives, on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex, and may be harder to value. Many derivative instruments often require little or no initial payment and therefore often create inherent economic leverage. Derivatives, when used properly, can enhance returns and be useful in hedging portfolios and managing risk. Some common types of derivatives include futures; options; options on futures; forward foreign currency exchange contracts; forward contracts on securities and securities indices; linked securities and structured products; CMOs; swap agreements and swaptions.
A Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including, for example: (i) to enhance its return; (ii) to attempt to protect against possible unfavorable changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for its portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations (i.e., to hedge); (iii) to protect its unrealized gains reflected in the value of its portfolio securities; (iv) to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes; (v) to reduce transaction costs; (vi) to manage the effective maturity or duration of its portfolio; and/or (vii) to maintain cash reserves while remaining fully invested.
Certain Funds may employ portfolio margining with respect to derivatives investments, which creates leverage in a Fund’s portfolio (subjecting the Fund to Leverage Risk). Portfolio margining is a methodology that computes margin requirements for an account based on the greatest projected net loss of all positions in a product class or group, and uses computer modeling to perform risk analysis using multiple pricing scenarios. The pricing scenarios are designed to measure the theoretical loss of the positions, given changes in the underlying price and implied volatility inputs to the model. Accordingly, the margin required is based on the greatest loss that would be incurred in a portfolio if the value of its components move up or down by a predetermined amount.
A Fund may use any or all of the above investment techniques and may purchase different types of derivative instruments at any time and in any combination. The use of derivatives is a function of numerous variables, including market conditions. See also Types of Investments — Warrants and Rights and — Debt Obligations - When Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with transactions in derivatives (including the derivatives instruments discussed below) include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Leverage Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk, Derivatives Risk, Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk, Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk, Derivatives Risk – Inverse Floaters Risk, Derivatives Risk – Options Risk, Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk and/or Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk.
Structured Investments (Indexed or Linked Securities)
General. Indexed or linked securities, also often referred to as “structured products,” are instruments that may have varying combinations of equity and debt characteristics. These instruments are structured to recast the investment characteristics of the underlying security or reference asset. If the issuer is a unit investment trust or other special purpose vehicle, the structuring will typically involve the deposit with or purchase by such issuer of specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans or securities) and/or the execution of various derivative transactions, and the issuance by that entity of one or more classes of securities (structured securities) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments.
Indexed and Inverse Floating Rate Securities. A Fund may invest in securities that provide a potential return based on a particular index or interest rates. For example, a Fund may invest in debt securities that pay interest based on an index of interest rates. The principal amount payable upon maturity of certain securities also may be based on the value of the index. To the extent a Fund invests in these types of securities, a Fund’s return on such securities will rise and fall with the value of the particular index: that is, if the value of the index falls, the value of the indexed securities owned by a Fund will fall. Interest and principal payable on certain securities may also be based on relative changes among particular indices.
A Fund may also invest in so-called “inverse floaters” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates vary inversely with a floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). A Fund may purchase synthetically-created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or trust receipts. A trust funds the purchase of a bond by issuing two classes of certificates: short-term floating rate notes (typically sold to third parties) and the inverse floaters (also known as residual certificates). No additional income beyond that provided by the trust’s underlying bond is created; rather, that income is merely divided-up between the two classes of certificates. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when interest rates increase, and will increase when interest rates decrease. Such securities can have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple of the actual rate at which fixed-rate securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities will generally be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate securities. To seek to limit the volatility of these securities, a Fund may purchase inverse floating obligations that have shorter-term maturities or that contain limitations on the extent to which the interest rate may vary. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid. Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of an adverse movement in the underlying index or interest rate, a Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.
Credit-Linked Securities. Among the income-producing securities in which a Fund may invest are credit linked securities. The issuers of these securities frequently are limited purpose trusts or other special purpose vehicles that, in turn, invest in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain fixed income markets. For instance, a Fund may invest in credit-linked securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income-producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on or linked to the issuer’s receipt of payments from, and the issuer’s potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. For instance, the issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and/or principal that a Fund would receive. A Fund’s investments in these securities are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments. These securities generally are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may be illiquid.
Equity-Linked Notes. An equity-linked note (ELN) is a debt instrument whose value is based on the value of a single equity security, basket of equity securities or an index of equity securities (each, an Underlying Equity). An ELN typically provides interest income, thereby offering a yield advantage over investing directly in an Underlying Equity. The Fund may purchase
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ELNs that trade on a securities exchange or those that trade on the over-the-counter markets, including Rule 144A securities. The Fund may also purchase ELNs in a privately negotiated transaction with the issuer of the ELNs (or its broker-dealer affiliate). The Fund may or may not hold an ELN until its maturity.
Equity-linked securities also include issues such as Structured Yield Product Exchangeable for Stock (STRYPES), Trust Automatic Common Exchange Securities (TRACES), Trust Issued Mandatory Exchange Securities (TIMES) and Trust Enhanced Dividend Securities (TRENDS). The issuers of these equity-linked securities generally purchase and hold a portfolio of stripped U.S. Treasury securities maturing on a quarterly basis through the conversion date, and a forward purchase contract with an existing shareholder of the company relating to the common stock. Quarterly distributions on such equity-linked securities generally consist of the cash received from the U.S. Treasury securities and such equity-linked securities generally are not entitled to any dividends that may be declared on the common stock.
ELNs also include participation notes issued by a bank or broker-dealer that entitles the Fund to a return measured by the change in value of an Underlying Equity. Participation notes are typically used when a direct investment in the Underlying Equity is restricted due to country-specific regulations. Investment in a participation note is not the same as investment in the constituent shares of the company (or other issuer type) to which the Underlying Equity is economically tied. A participation note represents only an obligation of the company or other issuer type to provide the Fund the economic performance equivalent to holding shares of the Underlying Equity. A participation note does not provide any beneficial or equitable entitlement or interest in the relevant Underlying Equity. In other words, shares of the Underlying Equity are not in any way owned by the Fund.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with equity-linked notes include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
Index-, Commodity- and Currency-Linked Securities. “Index-linked” or “commodity-linked” notes are debt securities of companies that call for interest payments and/or payment at maturity in different terms than the typical note where the borrower agrees to make fixed interest payments and to pay a fixed sum at maturity. Principal and/or interest payments on an index-linked or commodity-linked note depend on the performance of one or more market indices, such as the S&P 500® Index, a weighted index of commodity futures such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas or the market prices of a particular commodity or basket of commodities or securities. Currency-linked debt securities are short-term or intermediate-term instruments having a value at maturity, and/or an interest rate, determined by reference to one or more foreign currencies. Payment of principal or periodic interest may be calculated as a multiple of the movement of one currency against another currency, or against an index.
Index-, commodity- and currency-linked securities may entail substantial risks. Such instruments may be subject to significant price volatility. The company issuing the instrument may fail to pay the amount due on maturity. The underlying investment may not perform as expected by a Fund’s portfolio manager. Markets and underlying investments and indexes may move in a direction that was not anticipated by a Fund’s portfolio manager. Performance of the derivatives may be influenced by interest rate and other market changes in the United States and abroad, and certain derivative instruments may be illiquid.
Linked securities are often issued by unit investment trusts. Examples of this include such index-linked securities as S&P Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), which is an interest in a unit investment trust holding a portfolio of securities linked to the S&P 500® Index, and a type of exchange-traded fund (ETF). Because a unit investment trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act, a Fund’s investments in SPDRs are subject to the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, although the SEC has issued exemptive relief permitting investment companies such as the Funds to invest beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) subject to certain conditions. SPDRs generally closely track the underlying portfolio of securities, trade like a share of common stock and pay periodic dividends proportionate to those paid by the portfolio of stocks that comprise the S&P 500® Index. As a holder of interests in a unit investment trust, a Fund would indirectly bear its ratable share of that unit investment trust’s expenses. At the same time, a Fund would continue to pay its own management and advisory fees and other expenses, as a result of which a Fund and its shareholders in effect would be absorbing levels of fees with respect to investments in such unit investment trusts.
Because linked securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured products may be structured as a class that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated linked securities typically have higher rates of return and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured products. Structured products sometimes are sold in private placement transactions and often have a limited trading market.
Investments in linked securities have the potential to lead to significant losses because of unexpected movements in the underlying financial asset, index, currency or other investment. The ability of a Fund to utilize linked securities successfully will depend on its ability correctly to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Because currency-linked securities usually relate to foreign currencies, some of which may be currencies from emerging market countries, there are certain additional risks associated with such investments.
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Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts
Futures Contracts. A futures contract sale creates an obligation by the seller to deliver the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. A futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the purchaser to take delivery of the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. The specific security or other asset delivered or taken at the settlement date is not determined until on or near that date. The determination is made in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract was made. A Fund may enter into futures contracts which are traded on national or foreign futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying security or other asset. Futures exchanges and trading in the United States are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC, a U.S. Government agency. See CFTC Regulation below for information on CFTC regulation.
Traders in futures contracts may be broadly classified as either “hedgers” or “speculators.” Hedgers use the futures markets primarily to offset unfavorable changes (anticipated or potential) in the value of securities or other assets currently owned or expected to be acquired by them. Speculators less often own the securities or other assets underlying the futures contracts which they trade, and generally use futures contracts with the expectation of realizing profits from fluctuations in the value of the underlying securities or other assets.
Upon entering into futures contracts, in compliance with regulatory requirements, cash or liquid securities, at least equal in value to the amount of a Fund’s obligation under the contract (less any applicable margin deposits and any assets that constitute “cover” for such obligation), will be designated in a Fund’s books and records.
Unlike when a Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by a Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract, although a Fund is required to deposit with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash and/or U.S. Government securities in order to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in security transactions, in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by a Fund to finance the transactions. Rather, initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security or other asset) that is returned to a Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the relevant futures exchange and may be changed. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. Subsequent payments, called “variation margin,” to and from the broker (or the custodian) are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or other asset fluctuates, a process known as “marking to market.” If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional variation margin will be required. Conversely, a change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made for as long as the contract remains open. A Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.
Although futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of securities or other assets (stock index futures contracts or futures contracts that reference other intangible assets do not permit delivery of the referenced assets), the contracts usually are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. A Fund may elect to close some or all of its futures positions at any time prior to their expiration. The purpose of taking such action would be to reduce or eliminate the position then currently held by a Fund. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract (i.e., the same aggregate amount of the specific type of security or other asset with the same delivery date) to terminate the position. Final determinations are made as to whether the price of the initial sale of the futures contract exceeds or is below the price of the offsetting purchase, or whether the purchase price exceeds or is below the offsetting sale price. Final determinations of variation margin are then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to a Fund, and a Fund realizes a loss or a gain. Brokerage commissions are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold.
Successful use of futures contracts by a Fund is subject to its portfolio manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of interest rates and other factors affecting securities and commodities markets. This requires different skills and techniques than those required to predict changes in the prices of individual securities. A Fund, therefore, bears the risk that future market trends will be incorrectly predicted.
The risk of loss in trading futures contracts in some strategies can be substantial, due both to the relatively low margin deposits required and the potential for an extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures contracts. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the
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futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount posted as initial margin for the contract.
In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments in order to maintain its required margin. In such a situation, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities in order to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close the futures position also could have an adverse impact on the ability to hedge effectively.
To reduce or eliminate a hedge position held by a Fund, a Fund may seek to close out a position. The ability to establish and close out positions will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop or continue to exist for a particular futures contract, which may limit a Fund’s ability to realize its profits or limit its losses. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain contracts; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions, closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of contracts, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances, such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability, may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of contracts (or a particular class or series of contracts), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in the class or series of contracts) would cease to exist, although outstanding contracts on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Interest Rate Futures Contracts. Bond prices are established in both the cash market and the futures market. In the cash market, bonds are purchased and sold with payment for the full purchase price of the bond being made in cash, generally within five business days after the trade. In the futures market, a contract is made to purchase or sell a bond in the future for a set price on a certain date. Historically, the prices for bonds established in the futures markets have tended to move generally in the aggregate in concert with the cash market prices and have maintained fairly predictable relationships. Accordingly, a Fund may use interest rate futures contracts as a defense, or hedge, against anticipated interest rate changes. A Fund presently could accomplish a similar result to that which it hopes to achieve through the use of interest rate futures contracts by selling bonds with long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities when interest rates are expected to increase, or conversely, selling bonds with short maturities and investing in bonds with long maturities when interest rates are expected to decline. However, because of the liquidity that is often available in the futures market, the protection is more likely to be achieved, perhaps at a lower cost and without changing the rate of interest being earned by a Fund, through using futures contracts.
Interest rate futures contracts are traded in an auction environment on the floors of several exchanges — principally, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the New York Futures Exchange. Each exchange guarantees performance under contract provisions through a clearing corporation, a nonprofit organization managed by the exchange membership. A public market exists in futures contracts covering various financial instruments including long-term U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes; GNMA modified pass-through mortgage backed securities; three-month U.S. Treasury Bills; and ninety-day commercial paper. A Fund may also invest in exchange-traded Eurodollar contracts, which are interest rate futures on the forward level of a reference rate, such as LIBOR. These contracts are generally considered liquid securities and trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Such Eurodollar contracts are generally used to “lock-in” or hedge the future level of short-term rates. A Fund may trade in any interest rate futures contracts for which there exists a public market, including, without limitation, the foregoing instruments.
Index Futures Contracts. An index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of an index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Entering into a contract to buy units of an index is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position in the index. Entering into a contract to sell units of an index is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the index. A unit is the current value of the index. A Fund may enter into stock index futures contracts, debt index futures contracts, or other index futures contracts appropriate to its objective(s).
Municipal Bond Index Futures Contracts. Municipal bond index futures contracts may act as a hedge against changes in market conditions. A municipal bond index assigns values daily to the municipal bonds included in the index based on the independent assessment of dealer-to-dealer municipal bond brokers. A municipal bond index futures contract represents a firm commitment by which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount equal to a specified dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the municipal bond index value on the last trading date of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made.
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Commodity-Linked Futures Contracts. Commodity-linked futures contracts are traded on futures exchanges. These futures exchanges offer a central marketplace in which to transact in futures contracts, a clearing corporation to process trades, and standardization of expiration dates and contract sizes. Futures markets also specify the terms and conditions of delivery as well as the maximum permissible price movement during a trading session. Additionally, the commodity futures exchanges may have position limit rules that limit the amount of futures contracts that any one party may hold in a particular commodity at any point in time. These position limit rules are designed to prevent any one participant from controlling a significant portion of the market.
Commodity-linked futures contracts are generally based upon commodities within six main commodity groups: (1) energy, which includes, among others, crude oil, brent crude oil, gas oil, natural gas, gasoline and heating oil; (2) livestock, which includes, among others, feeder cattle, live cattle and hogs; (3) agriculture, which includes, among others, wheat (Kansas wheat and Chicago wheat), corn and soybeans; (4) industrial metals, which includes, among others, aluminum, copper, lead, nickel and zinc; (5) precious metals, which includes, among others, gold and silver; and (6) softs, which includes cotton, coffee, sugar and cocoa. A Fund may purchase commodity futures contracts, swaps on commodity futures contracts, options on futures contracts and options and futures on commodity indices with respect to these six main commodity groups and the individual commodities within each group, as well as other types of commodities.
The price of a commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract (this is sometimes referred to as the “convenience yield”). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while a Fund is long futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.
In the commodity futures markets, if producers of the underlying commodity wish to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity, they will sell futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to take the corresponding long side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer must be willing to sell the futures contract at a price that is below the expected future spot price. Conversely, if the predominant hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the underlying commodity who purchase futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only take the short side of the futures contract if the futures price is greater than the expected future spot price of the commodity.
The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures contract prices are above or below the expected future spot price. This can have significant implications for a Fund when it is time to replace an existing contract with a new contract. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted such that commodity purchasers are the predominant hedgers in the market, a Fund might open the new futures position at a higher price or choose other related commodity-linked investments.
The values of commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts are subject to additional variables which may be less significant to the values of traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Variables such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes and tariffs may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked investments, including futures contracts, commodity-linked structured notes, commodity-linked options and commodity-linked swaps, than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject a Fund’s commodity-linked investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Options on Futures Contracts. A Fund may purchase and write call and put options on those futures contracts that it is permitted to buy or sell. A Fund may use such options on futures contracts in lieu of writing options directly on the underlying securities or other assets or purchasing and selling the underlying futures contracts. Such options generally operate in the same manner as options purchased or written directly on the underlying investments. A futures option gives the holder, in return for the premium paid, the right, but not the obligation, to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the writer of the option a futures contract at a specified price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise, the writer of the option is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the futures contract and the exercise price. Like the buyer or seller of a futures contract, the holder or writer of an option has the right to terminate its position prior to the scheduled expiration of the option by selling or purchasing an option of the same series, at which time the person entering into the closing purchase transaction will realize a gain or loss. There is no guarantee that such closing purchase transactions can be effected.
A Fund will enter into written options on futures contracts only when, in compliance with regulatory requirements, it has designated cash or liquid securities at least equal in value to the underlying security’s or other asset’s value (less any applicable margin deposits). A Fund will be required to deposit initial margin and maintenance margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers’ requirements similar to those described above.
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Options on Index Futures Contracts. A Fund may also purchase and sell options on index futures contracts. Options on index futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in an index futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put), at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the index futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the index future. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to the expiration date of the option, the settlement will be made entirely in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the index on which the future is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.
Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Futures Contracts and Options Thereon. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. A Fund may use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in a reference rate, such as LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments are linked.
Options
Options on Stocks, Stock Indices and Other Indices. A Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular stocks or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks.
There is a key difference between stock options and index options in connection with their exercise. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than (in the case of a call) or less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the securities included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the S&P 500® Index or a narrower market index, such as the S&P 100® Index. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment.
A Fund may, for the purpose of hedging its portfolio, subject to applicable securities regulations, purchase and write put and call options on foreign stock indices listed on foreign and domestic stock exchanges.
As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures, a Fund may purchase call and put options on the underlying indices themselves. Such options could be used in a manner identical to the use of options on index futures. Options involving securities indices provide the holder with the right to make or receive a cash settlement upon exercise of the option based on movements in the relevant index. Such options must be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the OCC. Such options may relate to particular securities or to various stock indices, except that a Fund may not write covered options on an index.
Writing Covered Options. A Fund may write covered call options and covered put options on securities held in its portfolio. Call options written by a Fund give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying securities from a Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price; put options give the purchaser the right to sell the underlying securities to a Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price.
A Fund may write covered options, which means that, so long as a Fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of securities exchanges). In the case of put options, a Fund will hold liquid assets equal to the price to be paid if the option is exercised. In addition, a Fund will be considered to have covered a put or call option if and to the extent that it holds an option that offsets some or all of the risk of the option it has written. A Fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls (straddles) on the same underlying security.
A Fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which increases a Fund’s return on the underlying security if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. By writing a call option, a Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a
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decline in the value of the underlying security. By writing a put option, a Fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than the security’s then-current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.
A Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by a Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an offsetting option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected in order to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. A Fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the security underlying the option, any loss resulting from a closing purchase transaction may be offset in whole or in part by unrealized appreciation of the underlying security.
If a Fund writes a call option but does not own the underlying security, and when it writes a put option, a Fund may be required to deposit cash or securities with its broker as “margin” or collateral for its obligation to buy or sell the underlying security. As the value of the underlying security varies, a Fund may also have to deposit additional margin with the broker. Margin requirements are complex and are fixed by individual brokers, subject to minimum requirements currently imposed by the Federal Reserve Board and by stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations.
Purchasing Put Options. A Fund may purchase put options to protect its portfolio holdings in an underlying security against a decline in market value. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the put option since a Fund, as holder of the put option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, a Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.
Purchasing Call Options. A Fund may purchase call options, including call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that a Fund wants ultimately to buy. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the call option since a Fund, as holder of the call option, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the underlying security’s market price. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit a Fund might have realized had it bought the underlying security at the time it purchased the call option.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Options. OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) are generally established through negotiation with the other party to the options contract. A Fund will enter into OTC options transactions only with primary dealers in U.S. Government securities and, in the case of OTC options written by a Fund, only pursuant to agreements that will assure that a Fund will at all times have the right to repurchase the option written by it from the dealer at a specified formula price.
Swap Agreements
General. Swap agreements are derivative instruments that can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease a Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates, foreign currency values, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices or inflation rates. A Fund may enter into a variety of swap agreements, including interest rate, index, commodity, commodity futures, equity, equity index, credit default, bond futures, total return, currency exchange rate, and other types of swap agreements such as caps, collars and floors. A Fund also may enter into swaptions, which are options to enter into a swap agreement.
Swap agreements are usually entered into without an upfront payment because the value of each party’s position is the same. The market values of the underlying commitments will change over time, resulting in one of the commitments being worth more than the other and the net market value creating a risk exposure for one party or the other.
In a typical interest rate swap, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a floating interest rate times a “notional principal amount,” in return for payments equal to a fixed rate times the same amount, for a specified period of time. If a swap agreement provides for payments in different currencies, the parties might agree to exchange notional principal amounts as well. In a total return swap agreement, the non-floating rate side of the swap is based on the total return of an individual security, a basket of securities, an index or another reference asset. Swaps may also depend on other prices or rates, such as the value of an index or mortgage prepayment rates.
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In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level, while the seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. A collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor. In interest rate collar transactions, one party sells a cap and purchases a floor, or vice versa, in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels or collar amounts.
Swap agreements will tend to shift a Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another. For example, if a Fund agreed to pay fixed rates in exchange for floating rates while holding fixed-rate bonds, the swap would tend to decrease a Fund’s exposure to long-term interest rates. Another example is if a Fund agreed to exchange payments in dollars for payments in foreign currency. In that case, the swap agreement would tend to decrease a Fund’s exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to foreign currency and interest rates.
Because swaps are two-party contracts that may be subject to contractual restrictions on transferability and termination and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid. If a swap is not liquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
Moreover, a Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. When a counterparty’s obligations are not fully secured by collateral, then the Fund is essentially an unsecured creditor of the counterparty. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies, but there is no assurance that a counterparty will be able to meet its obligations pursuant to such contracts or that, in the event of default, the Fund will succeed in enforcing contractual remedies. Counterparty risk still exists even if a counterparty’s obligations are secured by collateral because the Fund’s interest in collateral may not be perfected or additional collateral may not be promptly posted as required. Counterparty risk also may be more pronounced if a counterparty’s obligations exceed the amount of collateral held by the Fund (if any), the Fund is unable to exercise its interest in collateral upon default by the counterparty, or the termination value of the instrument varies significantly from the marked-to-market value of the instrument.
Counterparty risk with respect to derivatives will be affected by new rules and regulations affecting the derivatives market. Some derivatives transactions are required to be centrally cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivative transaction. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses, and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system. A clearing member is obligated by contract and by applicable regulation to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives transactions from the clearing member’s proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are generally held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, and the clearing member may invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. The assets of a Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of a Fund’s clearing member, because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing broker’s customers for a relevant account class. Also, the clearing member is required to transfer to the clearing organization the amount of margin required by the clearing organization for cleared derivatives, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization for all customers of the clearing member. Regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the clearing member to the clearing organization that is attributable to each customer. However, if the clearing member does not provide accurate reporting, the Funds are subject to the risk that a clearing organization will use a Fund’s assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. In addition, clearing members generally provide to the clearing organization the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount of each customer. The Funds are therefore subject to the risk that a clearing organization will not make variation margin payments owed to a Fund if another customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss and is in default, and the risk that a Fund will be required to provide additional variation margin to the clearing house before the clearing house will move the Fund’s cleared derivatives transactions to another clearing member. In addition, if a clearing member does not comply with the applicable regulations or its agreement with the Funds, or in the event of fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by a clearing member, a Fund could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the clearing member with respect to the margin held by the clearing member.
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Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swap agreements are often used to obtain or preserve a desired return or spread at a lower cost than through a direct investment in an instrument that yields the desired return or spread. They are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate cash flow for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. In a standard interest rate swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange their respective commitments to pay fixed or floating interest rates on a predetermined specified (notional) amount. The swap agreement’s notional amount is the predetermined basis for calculating the obligations that the swap counterparties have agreed to exchange. Under most swap agreements, the obligations of the parties are exchanged on a net basis. The two payment streams are netted out, with each party receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, Treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
Credit Default Swap Agreements. A Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements, which may have as reference obligations one or more securities or a basket of securities that are or are not currently held by a Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. A Fund may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap. If a Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, a Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, a Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, a Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Credit default swap agreements may involve greater risks than if a Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to risks relating to the reference obligation, credit default swaps are subject to liquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. A Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements generally with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. A buyer generally will lose its investment and recover nothing if no credit event occurs and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller.
A Fund’s obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund). For bilateral credit default swaps (CDS) where the Fund is the seller of protection, the Fund will cover the full notional amount of the swap minus any collateral on deposit. In connection with credit default swaps in which a Fund is the buyer, the Fund will segregate or designate cash or other liquid assets in accordance with its policies and procedures. Such segregation or designation will ensure that a Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction. Such segregation or designation will not limit a Fund’s exposure to loss.
Equity Swaps. A Fund may engage in equity swaps. Equity swaps allow the parties to the swap agreement to exchange components of return on one equity investment (e.g., a basket of equity securities or an index) for a component of return on another non-equity or equity investment, including an exchange of differential rates of return. Equity swaps may be used to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances where direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impractical. Equity swaps also may be used for other purposes, such as hedging or seeking to increase total return.
Total Return Swap Agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to a Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, a Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Total return swap agreements are subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations to a Fund thereunder, and conversely, that a Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, a Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted against one another with a Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be designated by a Fund in its books and records. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of a Fund’s obligations will
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be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of a Fund’s obligations will be designated by a Fund in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost a Fund initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount a Fund is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement.
Variance, Volatility and Correlation Swap Agreements. Variance and volatility swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the volatility of certain referenced assets. Correlation swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the correlation between the prices of different assets or different market rates.
Commodity-Linked Swaps. Commodity-linked swaps are two-party contracts in which the parties agree to exchange the return or interest rate on one instrument for the return of a particular commodity, commodity index or commodities futures or options contract. The payment streams are calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional amount. A one-period swap contract operates in a manner similar to a forward or futures contract because there is an agreement to swap a commodity for cash at only one forward date. A Fund may engage in swap transactions that have more than one period and therefore more than one exchange of commodities.
A Fund may invest in total return commodity swaps to gain exposure to the overall commodity markets. In a total return commodity swap, a Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If the commodity swap is for one period, the Fund will pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, the Fund will pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a “floating” rate, the fee is pegged to a reference rate such as LIBOR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, a Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.
Cross Currency Swaps. Cross currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. A Fund may enter into a cross currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and termination of the agreements, both sides will have to pay in full periodically based upon the currency they have borrowed. Changes in foreign exchange currency rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.
Contracts for Differences. Contracts for differences are swap arrangements in which the parties agree that their return (or loss) will be based on the relative performance of two different groups or baskets of securities. Often, one or both baskets will be an established securities index. A Fund’s return will be based on changes in value of theoretical long futures positions in the securities comprising one basket (with an aggregate face value equal to the notional amount of the contract for differences) and theoretical short futures positions in the securities comprising the other basket. A Fund also may use actual long and short futures positions and achieve similar market exposure by netting the payment obligations of the two contracts. A Fund typically enters into contracts for differences (and analogous futures positions) when its portfolio manager believes that the basket of securities constituting the long position will outperform the basket constituting the short position. If the short basket outperforms the long basket, a Fund will realize a loss — even in circumstances when the securities in both the long and short baskets appreciate in value.
Swaptions. A swaption is an options contract on a swap agreement. These transactions give a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into new swap agreements or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement (which are described herein) at some designated future time on specified terms, in return for payment of the purchase price (the “premium”) of the option. A Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The writer of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the market value on the underlying swap agreement. Swaptions can be bundled and sold as a package. These are commonly called interest rate caps, floors and collars (which are described herein).
Many swaps are complex and often valued subjectively. Many over-the-counter derivatives are complex and their valuation often requires modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation. The pricing models used may not produce valuations that are consistent with the values the Fund realizes when it closes or sells an over-the-counter derivative. Valuation risk is more pronounced when the Fund enters into over-the-counter derivatives with specialized terms because the market value of those derivatives in some cases is determined in part by reference to similar derivatives with more standardized terms. Incorrect valuations may result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties, undercollateralization and/or errors in calculation of the Fund’s net asset value.
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Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) established a framework for the regulation of OTC swap markets; the framework outlined the joint responsibility of the CFTC and the SEC in regulating swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of swaps, the SEC is responsible for the regulation of security-based swaps and they are both jointly responsible for the regulation of mixed swaps.
Risk of Potential Governmental Regulation of Derivatives
It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Funds from using such instruments as a part of their investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Funds from being able to achieve their investment objectives. The effects of present or future legislation and regulation in this area are not known, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in a Fund or the ability of a Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act, which was signed into law in July 2010, has changed the way in which the U.S. financial system is supervised and regulated. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new legislative framework for OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Funds may invest. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act makes broad changes to the OTC derivatives market, grants significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to regulate OTC derivatives and market participants, and will require clearing of many OTC derivatives transactions.
Recent U.S. and non-U.S. legislative and regulatory reforms, including those related to the Dodd-Frank Act, have resulted in, and may in the future result in, new regulation of derivative instruments and the Fund's use of such instruments. New regulations could, among other things, restrict the Fund's ability to engage in derivative transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivative instruments or transactions no longer available to the Fund) and/or increase the costs of such transactions, and the Fund may as a result be unable to execute its investment strategies in a manner the Investment Manager might otherwise choose.
Additional Risk Factors in Cleared Derivatives Transactions
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction involving those swaps (“cleared derivatives”), a Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Funds are not members of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Funds will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In a cleared derivatives transaction, the Funds will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house.
In many ways, centrally cleared derivative arrangements are less favorable to open-end funds than bilateral arrangements. For example, the Funds may be required to provide greater amounts of margin for cleared derivatives positions than for bilateral derivatives transactions. Also, in contrast to a bilateral derivatives position, following a period of notice to a Fund, a clearing member generally can require termination of an existing cleared derivatives position at any time or increases in margin requirements above the margin that the clearing member required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing positions or to terminate those positions at any time. Any increase in margin requirements or termination of existing cleared derivatives positions by the clearing member or the clearing house could interfere with the ability of a Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Further, any increase in margin requirements by a clearing member could also expose a Fund to greater credit risk to its clearing member, because margin for cleared derivatives transactions in excess of clearing house’s margin requirements typically is held by the clearing member. Also, a Fund is subject to risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or that the Investment Manager expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund’s behalf. While the documentation in place between the Funds and their clearing members generally provides that the clearing members will accept for clearing all transactions submitted for clearing that are within credit limits (specified in advance) for each Fund, the Funds are still subject to the risk that no clearing member will be willing or able to clear a transaction. In those cases, the position might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of the position, including loss of an increase in the value of the position and/or loss of hedging protection. In addition, the documentation governing the relationship between the Funds and clearing members is developed by the clearing members and generally is less favorable to the Funds than typical bilateral derivatives documentation. For example, documentation relating to cleared derivatives generally includes a one-way indemnity
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by the Funds in favor of the clearing member for losses the clearing member incurs as the Funds’ clearing member and typically does not provide the Funds any remedies if the clearing member defaults or becomes insolvent. While futures contracts entail similar risks, the risks likely are more pronounced for cleared swaps due to their more limited liquidity and market history.
Some types of cleared derivatives are required to be executed on an exchange or on a swap execution facility. A swap execution facility is a trading platform where multiple market participants can execute derivatives by accepting bids and offers made by multiple other participants in the platform. While this execution requirement is designed to increase transparency and liquidity in the cleared derivatives market, trading on a swap execution facility can create additional costs and risks for the Funds. For example, swap execution facilities typically charge fees, and if a Fund executes derivatives on a swap execution facility through a broker intermediary, the intermediary may impose fees as well. Also, a Fund may indemnify a swap execution facility, or a broker intermediary who executes cleared derivatives on a swap execution facility on the Fund’s behalf, against any losses or costs that may be incurred as a result of the Fund’s transactions on the swap execution facility.
These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict a Fund’s ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. These regulations are new and evolving, so their potential impact on the Funds and the financial system are not yet known. While the new regulations and the central clearing of some derivatives transactions are designed to reduce systemic risk (i.e., the risk that the interdependence of large derivatives dealers could cause a number of those dealers to suffer liquidity, solvency or other challenges simultaneously), there is no assurance that the new clearing mechanisms will achieve that result, and in the meantime, as noted above, central clearing and related requirements expose the Funds to new kinds of risks and costs.
CFTC Regulation
Pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund no longer qualifies for an exclusion from the definition of a commodity pool. Accordingly, the Fund is registered as a "commodity pool" and the Investment Manager is registered as a “commodity pool operator” with respect to the Fund under the CEA.
Each of the other Funds listed on the cover of this SAI qualifies for an exclusion from the definition of a commodity pool under the CEA and has on file a notice of exclusion under CFTC Rule 4.5. Accordingly, the Investment Manager is not subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to these Funds, although the Investment Manager is a registered “commodity pool operator” and “commodity trading advisor”. To remain eligible for the exclusion, each of these Funds is limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”), including futures and options on futures and certain swaps transactions. In the event that a Fund’s investments in commodity interests are not within the thresholds set forth in the exclusion, one or more Funds not currently registered as a “commodity pool” may be required to register as such, which could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund’s total return.
Dollar Rolls
Dollar rolls involve selling securities (e.g., mortgage-backed securities or U.S. Treasury securities) and simultaneously entering into a commitment to purchase those or similar securities on a specified future date and price from the same party. Mortgage dollar rolls and U.S. Treasury rolls are types of dollar rolls. A Fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the securities during the “roll” period. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase of the securities, as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The investor also could be compensated through the receipt of fee income equivalent to a lower forward price. Dollar roll transactions may result in higher transaction costs for a Fund.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with mortgage dollar rolls include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk and Interest Rate Risk.
Exchange-traded notes (ETNs)
ETNs are instruments that combine aspects of bonds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and are designed to provide investors with access to the returns, less investor fees and expenses, of various market benchmarks or strategies to which they are usually linked. When an investor buys an ETN, the issuer, typically an underwriting bank, promises to pay upon maturity the amount reflected in the benchmark or strategy (minus fees and expenses). Some ETNs make periodic coupon payments. Like ETFs, ETNs are traded on an exchange, but ETNs have additional risks compared to ETFs, including the risk that if the credit of the ETN issuer becomes suspect, the investment might lose some or all of its value. Though linked to the performance, for example, of a market benchmark, ETNs are not equities or index funds, but they do share several characteristics. Similar to equities, ETNs are traded on an exchange and can be sold short. Similar to index funds, ETNs may be linked to the return of a benchmark or strategy, but ETNs do not have an ownership interest in the instruments underlying the benchmark or strategy the ETN is tracking.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with exchange-traded notes include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk and Market Risk.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Because investments in foreign securities usually involve currencies of foreign countries and because a Fund may hold cash and cash equivalent investments in foreign currencies, the value of a Fund’s assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. Also, a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, causing a Fund’s NAV to fluctuate. Currency exchange rates are generally determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates, and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected by the intervention of U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments.
Spot Rates and Derivative Instruments. A Fund may conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either at the spot (cash) rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or by entering into forward foreign currency exchange contracts (forward contracts). (See Types of Investments – Derivatives.) These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market might involve substantially larger amounts than those involved in the use of such derivative instruments, a Fund could be disadvantaged by having to deal in the odd lot market for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.
A Fund may enter into forward contracts for a variety of reasons, including for risk management (hedging) or for investment purposes.
When a Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency or has been notified of a dividend or interest payment, it may desire to lock in the price of the security or the amount of the payment, usually in U.S. dollars, although it could desire to lock in the price of the security in another currency. By entering into a forward contract, a Fund would be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between different currencies from the date the security is purchased or sold to the date on which payment is made or received or when the dividend or interest is actually received.
A Fund may enter into forward contracts when management of the Fund believes the currency of a particular foreign country may decline in value relative to another currency. When selling currencies forward in this fashion, a Fund may seek to hedge the value of foreign securities it holds against an adverse move in exchange rates. The precise matching of forward contract amounts and the value of securities involved generally will not be possible since the future value of securities in foreign currencies more than likely will change between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult and successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.
This method of protecting the value of a Fund’s securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange that can be achieved at some point in time. Although forward contracts can be used to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in value of hedged currency, they will also limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
A Fund may also enter into forward contracts when the Fund’s portfolio manager believes the currency of a particular country will increase in value relative to another currency. A Fund may buy currencies forward to gain exposure to a currency without incurring the additional costs of purchasing securities denominated in that currency.
For example, the combination of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments with long forward currency exchange contracts creates a position economically equivalent to a position in the foreign currency, in anticipation of an increase in the value of the foreign currency against the U.S. dollar. Conversely, the combination of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments with short forward currency exchange contracts is economically equivalent to borrowing the foreign currency for delivery at a specified date in the future, in anticipation of a decrease in the value of the foreign currency against the U.S. dollar.
Unanticipated changes in the currency exchange results could result in poorer performance for Funds that enter into these types of transactions.
A Fund may designate cash or securities in an amount equal to the value of the Fund’s total assets committed to consummating forward contracts entered into under the circumstance set forth above. If the value of the securities declines, additional cash or securities will be designated on a daily basis so that the value of the cash or securities will equal the amount of the Fund’s commitments on such contracts.
At maturity of a forward contract, a Fund may either deliver (if a contract to sell) or take delivery of (if a contract to buy) the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation by entering into an offsetting contract with the same currency trader, having the same maturity date, and covering the same amount of foreign currency.
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If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it will incur a gain or loss to the extent there has been movement in forward contract prices. If a Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it may subsequently enter into a new forward contract to buy or sell the foreign currency.
Although a Fund values its assets each business day in terms of U.S. dollars, it may not intend to convert its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. However, it will do so from time to time, and such conversions involve certain currency conversion costs. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (spread) between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should a Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer.
It is possible, under certain circumstances, including entering into forward currency contracts for investment purposes, that a Fund will be required to limit or restructure its forward contract currency transactions to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code.
Options on Foreign Currencies. A Fund may buy put and call options and write covered call and cash-secured put options on foreign currencies for hedging purposes and to gain exposure to foreign currencies. For example, a decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency in which securities are denominated will reduce the dollar value of such securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In order to protect against the diminutions in the value of securities, a Fund may buy put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency does decline, a Fund would have the right to sell the currency for a fixed amount in dollars and would thereby offset, in whole or in part, the adverse effect on its portfolio that otherwise would have resulted.
Conversely, where a change in the dollar value of a currency would increase the cost of securities a Fund plans to buy, or where a Fund would benefit from increased exposure to the currency, a Fund may buy call options on the foreign currency, giving it the right to purchase the currency for a fixed amount in dollars. The purchase of the options could offset, at least partially, the changes in exchange rates.
As in the case of other types of options, however, the benefit to a Fund derived from purchases of foreign currency options would be reduced by the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In addition, where currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, a Fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options that would require it to forego a portion or all of the benefits of advantageous changes in rates.
A Fund may write options on foreign currencies for similar purposes. For example, when a Fund anticipates a decline in the dollar value of foreign-denominated securities due to adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, it could, instead of purchasing a put option, write a call option on the relevant currency, giving the option holder the right to purchase that currency from the Fund for a fixed amount in dollars. If the expected decline occurs, the option would most likely not be exercised and the diminution in value of securities would be offset, at least partially, by the amount of the premium received.
Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option when a foreign currency is expected to appreciate, a Fund could write a put option on the relevant currency, giving the option holder the right to that currency from the Fund for a fixed amount in dollars. If rates move in the manner projected, the put option would expire unexercised and allow the Fund to hedge increased cost up to the amount of the premium.
As in the case of other types of options, however, the writing of a foreign currency option will constitute only a partial hedge up to the amount of the premium, and only if rates move in the expected direction. If this does not occur, the option may be exercised and the Fund would be required to buy or sell the underlying currency at a loss that may not be offset by the amount of the premium. Through the writing of options on foreign currencies, the Fund also may be required to forego all or a portion of the benefits that might otherwise have been obtained from favorable movements on exchange rates.
An option written on foreign currencies is covered if a Fund holds currency sufficient to cover the option or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that currency without additional cash consideration upon conversion of assets denominated in that currency or exchange of other currency held in its portfolio. An option writer could lose amounts substantially in excess of its initial investments, due to the margin and collateral requirements associated with such positions.
Options on foreign currencies are traded through financial institutions acting as market-makers, although foreign currency options also are traded on certain national securities exchanges, such as the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, subject to SEC regulation. In an over-the-counter trading environment, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there are no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time. Although the purchaser of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the premium plus related transaction costs, this entire amount could be lost.
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Foreign currency option positions entered into on a national securities exchange are cleared and guaranteed by the OCC, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Further, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the over-the-counter market, potentially permitting a Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements.
Foreign Currency Futures and Related Options. A Fund may enter into currency futures contracts to buy or sell currencies. It also may buy put and call options and write covered call and cash-secured put options on currency futures. Currency futures contracts are similar to currency forward contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures call for payment of delivery in U.S. dollars. A Fund may use currency futures for the same purposes as currency forward contracts, subject to CFTC limitations.
Currency futures and options on futures values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but will not reflect other factors that may affect the value of the Fund’s investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated bond against a decline in the Yen, but will not protect a Fund against price decline if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Because the value of a Fund’s investments denominated in foreign currency will change in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of a forward contract to the value of a Fund’s investments denominated in that currency over time.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with foreign currency transactions include: Foreign Currency Risk, Derivatives Risk, Interest Rate Risk, and Liquidity Risk.
Foreign Securities
Unless otherwise stated in a Fund’s prospectus, stocks, bonds and other securities or investments are deemed to be “foreign” based primarily on the issuer’s place of organization/incorporation, but the Fund may also consider the issuer’s domicile, its principal place of business, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of its revenue or other factors. A Fund’s investments in foreign markets, may include issuers in emerging markets, as well as frontier markets, each of which carry heightened risks as compared with investments in other typical foreign markets. Unless otherwise stated in a Fund’s prospectus, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on the Fund portfolio manager’s qualitative judgments about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than typical emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to investing in more developed markets) and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries. Foreign securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Due to the potential for foreign withholding taxes, MSCI publishes two versions of its indices reflecting the reinvestment of dividends using two different methodologies: gross dividends and net dividends. While both versions reflect reinvested dividends, they differ with respect to the manner in which taxes associated with dividend payments are treated. In calculating the net dividends version, MSCI incorporates reinvested dividends applying the withholding tax rate applicable to foreign non-resident institutional investors that do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The Investment Manager believes that the net dividends version of MSCI indices better reflects the returns U.S. investors might expect were they to invest directly in the component securities of an MSCI index.
There is a practice in certain foreign markets under which an issuer’s securities are blocked from trading at the custodian or sub-custodian level for a specified number of days before and, in certain instances, after a shareholder meeting where such shares are voted. This is referred to as “share blocking.” The blocking period can last up to several weeks. Share blocking may prevent a Fund from buying or selling securities during this period, because during the time shares are blocked, trades in such securities will not settle. It may be difficult or impossible to lift blocking restrictions, with the particular requirements varying widely by country. As a consequence of these restrictions, the Investment Manager, on behalf of a Fund, may abstain from voting proxies in markets that require share blocking.
Foreign securities may include depositary receipts, such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts issued in registered form by a domestic bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. EDRs are foreign currency-denominated receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks or trust companies and foreign branches of domestic banks, that evidence ownership of foreign or domestic securities. GDRs are receipts structured similarly to ADRs and EDRs and are marketed globally. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. In general, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and
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are designed for use throughout the world. A Fund may invest in depositary receipts through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute interest holder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be limited information available regarding such issuers and/or limited correlation between available information and the market value of the depositary receipts.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with foreign securities include: Emerging Markets Securities Risk, Foreign Currency Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Frontier Market Risk, Geographic Focus Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Guaranteed Investment Contracts (Funding Agreements)
Guaranteed investment contracts, or funding agreements, are short-term, privately placed debt instruments issued by insurance companies. Pursuant to such contracts, a Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of the insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to a Fund payments at negotiated, floating or fixed interest rates. A Fund will purchase guaranteed investment contracts only from issuers that, at the time of purchase, meet certain credit and quality standards. In general, guaranteed investment contracts are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance companies, and an active secondary market does not exist for these investments. In addition, the issuer may not be able to pay the principal amount to a Fund on seven days’ notice or less, at which time the investment may be considered illiquid. See Types of Investments – Illiquid Investments.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with guaranteed investment contracts (funding agreements) include: Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk.
High-Yield Securities
High-yield, or low and below investment grade securities (below investment grade securities are also known as “junk bonds”) are debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s), that are below investment grade (e.g., lower than BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s) or that are unrated but determined by a Fund’s portfolio manager to be of comparable quality. These types of securities may be issued to fund corporate transactions or restructurings, such as leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, debt reclassifications or similar events, are more speculative in nature than securities with higher ratings and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy. These types of securities generally are issued by unseasoned companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies or municipalities that have questionable credit strength. High-yield securities and comparable unrated securities: (i) likely will have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of one or more NRSROs, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; (ii) are speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation; and (iii) may have a less liquid secondary market, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities. Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of lower-quality securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the market value of the securities. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. High-yield securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
The rates of return on these types of securities generally are higher than the rates of return available on more highly rated securities, but generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of loss of principal and income, including the possibility of default by or insolvency of the issuers of such securities. Accordingly, a Fund may be more dependent on the Investment Manager’s (or, if applicable, a subadviser’s) credit analysis with respect to these types of securities than is the case for more highly rated securities.
The market values of certain high-yield securities and comparable unrated securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than are the market values of more highly rated securities. In addition, issuers of high-yield and comparable unrated securities often are highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired.
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The risk of loss due to default is greater for high-yield and comparable unrated securities than it is for higher rated securities because high-yield securities and comparable unrated securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to more senior indebtedness. A Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its holdings of such securities. The existence of limited markets for lower-rated debt securities may diminish a Fund’s ability to: (i) obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing such securities and calculating portfolio net asset value; and (ii) sell the securities at fair market value either to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the economy or in financial markets.
Many lower-rated securities are not registered for offer and sale to the public under the 1933 Act. Investments in these restricted securities may be determined to be liquid (able to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven days or less without the sales or dispositions significantly changing the market value of the investment) pursuant to the Funds’ liquidity risk management program. A Fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, the value of illiquid investments held by the Fund would exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets. A Fund is not otherwise subject to any limitation on its ability to invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities may be less liquid than other lower-rated securities, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with high-yield securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Illiquid Investments
An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Some securities, such as those not registered under U.S. securities laws, cannot be sold in public transactions. Some securities are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale. Subject to its investment policies, a Fund may invest in illiquid investments and may invest in certain restricted securities that are deemed to be illiquid investments at the time of purchase.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risk typically associated with illiquid investments include: Liquidity Risk.
Inflation-Protected Securities
Inflation is a general rise in prices of goods and services. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of an investor’s assets. For example, if an investment provides a total return of 7% in a given year and inflation is 3% during that period, the inflation-adjusted, or real, return is 4%. Inflation-protected securities are debt securities whose principal and/or interest payments are adjusted for inflation, unlike debt securities that make fixed principal and interest payments. One type of inflation-protected debt security is issued by the U.S. Treasury. The principal of these securities is adjusted for inflation as indicated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The CPI is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy.
If the CPI falls, the principal value of inflation-protected securities will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Conversely, if the CPI rises, the principal value of inflation-protected securities will be adjusted upward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities will be increased. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-protected securities, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the inflation-protected securities is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Other inflation-indexed securities include inflation-related bonds, which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Other issuers of inflation-protected debt securities include other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, corporations and foreign governments. There can be no assurance that the CPI or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with inflation-protected securities include: Inflation-Protected Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk and Market Risk. In addition, inflation-protected securities issued by non-U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities are subject to Credit Risk.
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Initial Public Offerings
A Fund may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stock or other primary or secondary syndicated offerings of equity or debt securities issued by a corporate issuer. Fixed income funds frequently invest in these types of offerings of debt securities. A purchase of IPO securities often involves higher transaction costs than those associated with the purchase of securities already traded on exchanges or markets. A Fund may hold IPO securities for a period of time, or may sell them soon after the purchase. Investments in IPOs could have a magnified impact — either positive or negative — on a Fund’s performance while the Fund’s assets are relatively small. The impact of an IPO on a Fund’s performance may tend to diminish as the Fund’s assets grow. In circumstances when investments in IPOs make a significant contribution to a Fund’s performance, there can be no assurance that similar contributions from IPOs will continue in the future.
Although one or more risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with IPOs include: IPO Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk and Small Company Securities Risk.
Inverse Floaters
See Types of Investments – Derivatives – Indexed or Linked Securities (Structured Products) above.
Investments in Other Investment Companies (Including ETFs)
Investing in other investment companies may be a means by which a Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective. A Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive relief currently or in the future available to a Fund. These securities include shares of other affiliated or unaffiliated open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), UCITS funds (pooled investment vehicles established in accordance with the Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) and business development companies.
Except with respect to funds structured as funds-of-funds or so-called master/feeder funds or other funds whose strategies otherwise allow such investments, the 1940 Act generally requires that a fund limit its investments in another investment company or series thereof so that, as determined at the time a securities purchase is made: (i) no more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) no more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of other investment companies; and (iii) no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company or series thereof will be owned by a fund or by companies controlled by a fund. Such other investment companies may include ETFs, which are shares of publicly traded unit investment trusts, open-end funds or depositary receipts that may be passively managed (e.g., they seek to track the performance of specific indexes or companies in related industries) or they may be actively managed. The SEC has granted orders for exemptive relief to certain ETFs that permit investments in those ETFs by certain other registered investment companies in excess of these limits.
ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis, which allows investors to purchase and sell ETF shares at their market price throughout the day. Certain ETFs, such as passively managed ETFs, hold portfolios of securities that are designed to replicate, as closely as possible before expenses, the price and yield of a specified market index. The performance results of these ETFs will not replicate exactly the performance of the pertinent index due to transaction and other expenses, including fees to service providers borne by ETFs. ETF shares are sold and redeemed at net asset value only in large blocks called creation units. The Funds’ ability to redeem creation units may be limited by the 1940 Act, which provides that ETFs will not be obligated to redeem shares held by the Funds in an amount exceeding one percent of their total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.
Although a Fund may derive certain advantages from being able to invest in shares of other investment companies, such as to be fully invested, there may be potential disadvantages. Investing in other investment companies may result in higher fees and expenses for a Fund and its shareholders. A shareholder may be charged fees not only on Fund shares held directly but also on the investment company shares that a Fund purchases. Because these investment companies may invest in other securities, they are also subject to the risks associated with a variety of investment instruments as described in this SAI.
Under the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder, a Fund may purchase shares of affiliated funds, subject to certain conditions. Investing in affiliated funds presents certain actual or potential conflicts of interest. For more information about such actual and potential conflicts of interest, see Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with the securities of other investment companies include: Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk, Investing in Other Funds Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
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Listed Private Equity Funds
A Fund may invest directly in listed private equity funds, which may include, among others, business development companies, investment holding companies, publicly traded limited partnership interests (common units), publicly traded venture capital funds, publicly traded venture capital trusts, publicly traded private equity funds, publicly traded private equity investment trusts, publicly traded closed-end funds, publicly traded financial institutions that lend to or invest in privately held companies and any other publicly traded vehicle whose purpose is to invest in privately held companies.
A Fund may invest in listed private equity funds that hold investments in a wide array of businesses and industries at various stages of development, from early stage to later stage to fully mature businesses. A Fund may invest in listed private equity funds that emphasize making equity and equity-like (preferred stock, convertible stock and warrants) investments in later stage to mature businesses, or may invest in listed private equity funds making debt investments or investments in companies at other stages of development. In addition, a Fund may invest in the common stock of closed-end management investment companies, including business development companies that invest in securities of listed private equity companies.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with investment in listed private equity funds include: Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk, Sector Risk, and Valuation Risk.
Money Market Instruments
Money market instruments include cash equivalents and short-term debt obligations which include: (i) bank obligations, including certificates of deposit (CDs), time deposits and bankers’ acceptances, and letters of credit of banks or savings and loan associations having capital surplus and undivided profits (as of the date of its most recently published annual financial statements) in excess of $100 million (or the equivalent in the instance of a foreign branch of a U.S. bank) at the date of investment; (ii) funding agreements; (iii) repurchase agreements; (iv) obligations of the United States, foreign countries and supranational entities, and each of their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities; (v) certain corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper, short-term corporate obligations and extendible commercial notes; (vi) participation interests; and (vii) municipal securities. Money market instruments may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations and may be privately placed or publicly offered. A Fund may also invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market mutual funds, which invest primarily in money market instruments. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
With respect to money market securities, certain U.S. Government obligations are backed or insured by the U.S. Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities. Other money market securities are backed only by the claims paying ability or creditworthiness of the issuer.
Bankers’ acceptances are marketable short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed “accepted” when a bank unconditionally guarantees their payment at maturity.
A Fund may invest its daily cash balance in Columbia Short-Term Cash Fund, a money market fund established for the exclusive use of the funds in the Columbia Fund Complex and other institutional clients of the Investment Manager.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with money market instruments include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk and Money Market Fund Risk.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
Mortgage-backed securities are a type of asset-backed security that represent interests in, or debt instruments backed by, pools of underlying mortgages. In some cases, these underlying mortgages may be insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Mortgage-backed securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions that are tied to the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral effectively pass through to such security holders. Mortgage-backed securities are created when mortgage originators (or mortgage loan sellers who have purchased mortgage loans from mortgage loan originators) sell the underlying mortgages to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders. Mortgage-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
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Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by GNMA (also known as Ginnie Mae), FNMA (also known as Fannie Mae), or FHLMC (also known as Freddie Mac), but also may be issued or guaranteed by other issuers, including private companies. GNMA is a government-owned corporation that is an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It guarantees, with the full faith and credit of the United States, full and timely payment of all monthly principal and interest on its mortgage-backed securities. Until recently, FNMA and FHLMC were government-sponsored corporations owned entirely by private stockholders. Both issue mortgage-related securities that contain guarantees as to timely payment of interest and principal but that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. The value of the companies’ securities fell sharply in 2008 due to concerns that the firms did not have sufficient capital to offset losses. The U.S. Treasury has historically had the authority to purchase obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, in 2008, due to capitalization concerns, Congress provided the U.S. Treasury with additional authority to lend Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac emergency funds and to purchase the companies’ stock, as described below. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed in conservatorship.
In the past Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. There can be no assurance that these or other agencies of the government will provide such support in the future. The future status of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac could be impacted by, among other things, the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s or Freddie Mac’s operations and activities under the senior stock purchase agreements, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership structure and/or mission of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The FHFA recently announced plans to consider taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship. Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear whether the U.S. Treasury would continue to enforce its rights or perform its obligations under the senior stock purchase agreements. It is also unclear how the capital structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be constructed post-conservatorship, and what effects, if any, the privatization of the enterprises will have on their creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. Accordingly, should the FHFA take the enterprises out of conservatorship, there could be an adverse impact on the value of securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which could cause a Fund’s shares to lose value.
Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receives differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. See Types of Investments — Debt Obligations - Stripped Securities for more information.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) are hybrid mortgage-related instruments issued by special purpose entities secured by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage pass-through securities or stripped mortgage-backed securities. CMOs may be structured into multiple classes, often referred to as “tranches,” with each class bearing a different stated maturity and entitled to a different schedule for payments of principal and interest, including prepayments. Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be retired substantially earlier than its stated maturity or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. The yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of other debt securities. Among the differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage-backed securities, usually monthly, and principal may be repaid at any time. These factors may reduce the expected yield. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a periodic basis. The principal and interest payments on the underlying mortgage assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgage assets are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) are a specific type of mortgage-backed security collateralized by a pool of mortgages on commercial real estate.
CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO
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will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (“IO”) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances an ETF may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual. CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may or, pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the 1933 Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed “illiquid” and subject to a Fund’s limitations on investment in illiquid investments.
Mortgage pass-through securities are interests in pools of mortgage-related securities that differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a “pass-through” of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential or commercial mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by the GNMA) are described as “modified pass-through.” These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment.
REMICs are entities that own mortgages and elect REMIC status under the Code and, like CMOs, issue debt obligations collateralized by underlying mortgage assets that have characteristics similar to those issued by CMOs.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with mortgage- and asset-backed securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
Municipal Securities
Municipal securities include debt obligations issued by governmental entities, including states, political subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities, and authorities, as well as U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions (such as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and their political subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities, and authorities, to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general operating expenses, and the extension of loans to public institutions and facilities.
Municipal securities may include municipal bonds, municipal notes and municipal leases, which are described below. Municipal bonds are debt obligations of a governmental entity that obligate the municipality to pay the holder a specified sum of money at specified intervals and to repay the principal amount of the loan at maturity. Municipal securities can be classified into two principal categories, including “general obligation” bonds and other securities and “revenue” bonds and other securities. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer’s full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue securities are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source, such as the user of the facility being financed. Municipal securities also may include “moral obligation” securities, which normally are issued by special purpose public authorities. If the issuer of moral obligation securities is unable to meet its debt service obligations from current revenues, it may draw on a reserve fund, the restoration of which is a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the governmental entity that created the special purpose public authority. Municipal securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Municipal notes may be issued by governmental entities and other tax-exempt issuers in order to finance short-term cash needs or, occasionally, to finance construction. Most municipal notes are general obligations of the issuing entity payable from taxes or designated revenues expected to be received within the relevant fiscal period. Municipal notes generally have maturities of one year or less. Municipal notes can be subdivided into two sub-categories: (i) municipal commercial paper and (ii) municipal demand obligations.
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Municipal commercial paper typically consists of very short-term unsecured negotiable promissory notes that are sold, for example, to meet seasonal working capital or interim construction financing needs of a governmental entity or agency. While these obligations are intended to be paid from general revenues or refinanced with long-term debt, they frequently are backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or institutions. See Types of Investments – Commercial Paper for more information.
Municipal demand obligations can be subdivided into two general types: variable rate demand notes and master demand obligations. Variable rate demand notes are tax-exempt municipal obligations or participation interests that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the notes. They permit the holder to demand payment of the notes, or to demand purchase of the notes at a purchase price equal to the unpaid principal balance, plus accrued interest either directly by the issuer or by drawing on a bank letter of credit or guaranty issued with respect to such note. The issuer of the municipal obligation may have a corresponding right to prepay at its discretion the outstanding principal of the note plus accrued interest upon notice comparable to that required for the holder to demand payment. The variable rate demand notes in which a Fund may invest are payable, or are subject to purchase, on demand, usually on notice of seven calendar days or less. The terms of the notes generally provide that interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from daily to six months.
Master demand obligations are tax-exempt municipal obligations that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid and permit daily changes in the amount borrowed. The interest on such obligations is, in the opinion of counsel for the borrower, excluded from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but not necessarily for alternative minimum tax purposes). Although there is no secondary market for master demand obligations, such obligations are considered by a Fund to be liquid because they are payable upon demand.
Municipal lease obligations are participations in privately arranged loans to state or local government borrowers and may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase, or a conditional sales contract. They are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment, and facilities. An investor may purchase these obligations directly, or it may purchase participation interests in such obligations. In general, municipal lease obligations are unrated, in which case they will be determined by a Fund’s portfolio manager to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase to rated instruments that may be acquired by a Fund. Frequently, privately arranged loans have variable interest rates and may be backed by a bank letter of credit. In other cases, they may be unsecured or may be secured by assets not easily liquidated.
Moreover, such loans in most cases are not backed by the taxing authority of the issuers and may have limited marketability or may be marketable only by virtue of a provision requiring repayment following demand by the lender.
Municipal leases may be subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds. State constitutions and statutes set forth requirements that states or municipalities must meet in order to issue municipal obligations. Municipal leases may contain a covenant by the state or municipality to budget for and make payments due under the obligation. Certain municipal leases may, however, provide that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year.
Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipal issuer to which the government’s taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation ordinarily is backed by the government’s covenant to budget for, appropriate, and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the government has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a periodic basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, a Fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default likely will be limited to the repossession of the leased property in the event that foreclosure proves difficult.
Tender option bonds are municipal securities having relatively long maturities and bearing interest at a fixed interest rate substantially higher than prevailing short-term tax-exempt rates that is coupled with the agreement of a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution, to grant the security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. The financial institution receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the municipal security’s coupon rate and the rate that would cause the security to trade at face value on the date of determination.
There are variations in the quality of municipal securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, and the rates of return on municipal securities can depend on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating of the issue. The ratings of NRSROs represent their opinions as to the quality of municipal securities. It should be emphasized, however, that these ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and municipal securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different rates of return while municipal securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same rate of return. The municipal bond market is characterized by a large number of different issuers, many having smaller sized bond issues, and a wide choice of different
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maturities within each issue. For these reasons, most municipal bonds do not trade on a daily basis and many trade only rarely. Because many of these bonds trade infrequently, the spread between the bid and offer may be wider and the time needed to develop a bid or an offer may be longer than for other security markets. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. (See Types of Investments – Debt Obligations.)
Standby Commitments. Standby commitments are securities under which a purchaser, usually a bank or broker-dealer, agrees to purchase, for a fee, an amount of a Fund’s municipal obligations. The amount payable by a bank or broker-dealer to purchase securities subject to a standby commitment typically will be substantially the same as the value of the underlying municipal securities. A Fund may pay for standby commitments either separately in cash or by paying a higher price for portfolio securities that are acquired subject to such a commitment.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with standby commitments include: Counterparty Risk, Market Risk and Municipal Securities Risk.
Taxable Municipal Obligations. Interest or other investment return is subject to federal income tax for certain types of municipal obligations for a variety of reasons. These municipal obligations do not qualify for the federal income tax exemption because (a) they did not receive necessary authorization for tax-exempt treatment from state or local government authorities, (b) they exceed certain regulatory limitations on the cost of issuance for tax-exempt financing or (c) they finance public or private activities that do not qualify for the federal income tax exemption. These non-qualifying activities might include, for example, certain types of multi-family housing, certain professional and local sports facilities, refinancing of certain municipal debt, and borrowing to replenish a municipality’s underfunded pension plan.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. (See Types of Investments – Debt Obligations.)
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with municipal securities include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Market Risk and Municipal Securities Risk.
Participation Interests
Participation interests (also called pass-through certificates or securities) represent an interest in a pool of debt obligations, such as municipal bonds or notes that have been “packaged” by an intermediary, such as a bank or broker-dealer. Participation interests typically are issued by partnerships or trusts through which a Fund receives principal and interest payments that are passed through to the holder of the participation interest from the payments made on the underlying debt obligations. The purchaser of a participation interest receives an undivided interest in the underlying debt obligations. The issuers of the underlying debt obligations make interest and principal payments to the intermediary, as an initial purchaser, which are passed through to purchasers in the secondary market, such as a Fund. Mortgage-backed securities are a common type of participation interest. Participation interests may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in- kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Loan participations also are a type of participation interest. Loans, loan participations, and interests in securitized loan pools are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to a lender or consortium of lenders (typically banks, insurance companies, investment banks, government agencies, or international agencies).
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with loan participations include: Confidential Information Access Risk, Credit Risk and Interest Rate Risk.
Partnership Securities
The Fund may invest in securities issued by publicly traded partnerships or master limited partnerships or limited liability companies (together referred to as “PTPs/MLPs”). These entities are limited partnerships or limited liability companies that may be publicly traded on stock exchanges or markets such as the NYSE, the NYSE Alternext US LLC (formerly the American Stock Exchange) and NASDAQ. PTPs/MLPs often own businesses or properties relating to energy, natural resources or real estate, or may be involved in the film industry or research and development activities. Generally PTPs/MLPs are operated under the supervision of one or more managing partners or members. Limited partners, unit holders, or members (such as a fund that invests in a partnership) are not involved in the day-to-day management of the company. Limited partners, unit holders, or members are allocated income and capital gains associated with the partnership project in accordance with the terms of the partnership or limited liability company agreement.
At times PTPs/MLPs may potentially offer relatively high yields compared to common stocks. Because PTPs/MLPs are generally treated as partnerships or similar limited liability “pass-through” entities for tax purposes, they do not ordinarily pay income taxes, but pass their earnings on to unit holders (except in the case of some publicly traded firms that may be taxed as corporations).
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with partnership securities include: Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
Preferred Stock
Preferred stock represents units of ownership of a corporation that frequently have dividends that are set at a specified rate. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock shares some of the characteristics of both debt and equity. Preferred stock ordinarily does not carry voting rights. Most preferred stock is cumulative; if dividends are passed (i.e., not paid for any reason), they accumulate and must be paid before common stock dividends. Participating preferred stock entitles its holders to share in profits above and beyond the declared dividend, along with common shareholders, as distinguished from nonparticipating preferred stock, which is limited to the stipulated dividend. Convertible preferred stock is exchangeable for a given number of shares of common stock and thus tends to be more volatile than nonconvertible preferred stock, which generally behaves more like a fixed income bond. Preferred stock may be privately placed or publicly offered. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. See Types of Investments – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Auction preferred stock (APS) is a type of adjustable-rate preferred stock with a dividend determined periodically in a Dutch auction process by corporate bidders. An APS is distinguished from standard preferred stock because its dividends change from time to time. Shares typically are bought and sold at face values generally ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per share. Holders of APS may not be able to sell their shares if an auction fails, such as when there are more shares of APS for sale at an auction than there are purchase bids.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with preferred stock include: Convertible Securities Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
Trust-Preferred Securities. Trust-preferred securities, also known as trust-issued securities, are securities that have characteristics of both debt and equity instruments and are typically treated by the Funds as debt investments.
Generally, trust-preferred securities are cumulative preferred stocks issued by a trust that is created by a financial institution, such as a bank holding company. The financial institution typically creates the trust with the objective of increasing its capital by issuing subordinated debt to the trust in return for cash proceeds that are reflected on the financial institutions balance sheet.
The primary asset owned by the trust is the subordinated debt issued to the trust by the financial institution. The financial institution makes periodic interest payments on the debt as discussed further below. The financial institution will subsequently own the trust’s common securities, which may typically represent a small percentage of the trust’s capital structure. The remainder of the trust’s capital structure typically consists of trust-preferred securities which are sold to investors. The trust uses the sales proceeds to purchase the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt.
The trust uses the interest received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust-preferred securities. The dividends are generally paid on a quarterly basis and are often higher than other dividends potentially available on the financial institution’s common stocks. The interests of the holders of the trust-preferred securities are senior to those of common stockholders in the event that the financial institution is liquidated, although their interests are typically subordinated to those of other holders of other debt issued by the institution.
The primary benefit for the financial institution in using this particular structure is that the trust-preferred securities issued by the trust are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes (as a consequence of which the expense of paying interest on the securities is tax deductible), but are treated as more desirable equity securities for purposes of the calculation of capital requirements.
In certain instances, the structure involves more than one financial institution and thus, more than one trust. In such a pooled offering, an additional separate trust may be created. This trust will issue securities to investors and use the proceeds to purchase the trust-preferred securities issued by other trust subsidiaries of the participating financial institutions. In such a structure, the trust-preferred securities held by the investors are backed by other trust-preferred securities issued by the trust subsidiaries.
If a financial institution is financially unsound and defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of the trust-preferred securities such as the Fund, as the trust typically has no business operations other than holding the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution(s) and issuing the trust-preferred securities and common stock backed by the subordinated debt.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with trust-preferred securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
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Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities
Private placement securities are securities that have been privately placed and are not registered under the 1933 Act. They are generally eligible for sale only to certain eligible investors. Private placements often may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market. Private placement and other “restricted” securities often cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or they are “not readily marketable” because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale. Asset-backed securities, common stock, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, preferred stock and other types of equity and debt instruments may be privately placed or restricted securities.
Private placements typically may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers or, in the case of the initial sale of certain securities, such as those issued in collateralized debt obligations or collateralized loan obligations, to accredited investors (as defined in Rule 501(a) under the 1933 Act), or in a privately negotiated transaction or to a limited number of qualified purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with private placement and other restricted securities include: Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk and Confidential Information Access Risk.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are pooled investment vehicles that manage a portfolio of real estate or real estate related loans to earn profits for their shareholders. REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property, such as shopping centers, nursing homes, office buildings, apartment complexes, and hotels, and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs can be subject to extreme volatility due to fluctuations in the demand for real estate, changes in interest rates, and adverse economic conditions.
Partnership units of real estate and other types of companies sometimes are organized as master limited partnerships in which ownership interests are publicly traded.
Similar to regulated investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements under the Code. A Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by a REIT in which it invests. REITs often do not provide complete tax information until after the calendar year-end. Consequently, because of the delay, it may be necessary for a Fund investing in REITs to request permission to extend the deadline for issuance of Forms 1099-DIV beyond January 31. In the alternative, amended Forms 1099-DIV may be sent.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with REITs include: Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk and Real Estate-Related Investment Risk.
Repurchase Agreements
Repurchase agreements are agreements under which a Fund acquires a security for a relatively short period of time (usually within seven days) subject to the obligation of a seller to repurchase and a Fund to resell such security at a fixed time and price (representing the Fund’s cost plus interest). The repurchase agreement specifies the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements also may be viewed as loans made by a Fund that are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase, which may consist of a variety of security types. A Fund typically will enter into repurchase agreements only with commercial banks, registered broker-dealers and the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation. Such transactions are monitored to ensure that the value of the underlying securities will be at least equal at all times to the total amount of the repurchase obligation, including any accrued interest.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with repurchase agreements include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk and Repurchase Agreements Risk.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements under which a Fund temporarily transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash. At the same time, the Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed-upon time (normally within 7 days) and price which reflects an interest payment. A Fund generally retains the right to interest and principal payments on the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as borrowings made by a Fund.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with reverse repurchase agreements include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Leverage Risk, Market Risk and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk.
Short Sales
A Fund may sometimes sell securities short when it owns an equal amount of the securities sold short. This is a technique known as selling short “against the box.” If a Fund makes a short sale “against the box,” it would not immediately deliver the securities sold and would not receive the proceeds from the sale. The seller is said to have a short position in the securities sold until it delivers the securities sold, at which time it receives the proceeds of the sale. To secure its obligation to deliver securities sold short, a Fund will deposit in escrow in a separate account with the custodian an equal amount of the securities sold short or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such securities. A Fund can close out its short position by purchasing and delivering an equal amount of the securities sold short, rather than by delivering securities already held by a Fund, because a Fund might want to continue to receive interest and dividend payments on securities in its portfolio that are convertible into the securities sold short.
Short sales “against the box” entail many of the same risks and considerations described below regarding short sales not “against the box.” However, when a Fund sells short “against the box” it typically limits the amount of its effective leverage. A Fund’s decision to make a short sale “against the box” may be a technique to hedge against market risks when a Fund’s portfolio manager believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by a Fund or a security convertible into or exchangeable for such security. In such case, any future losses in a Fund’s long position would be reduced by a gain in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses in the long position are reduced will depend upon the amount of securities sold short relative to the amount of the securities a Fund owns, either directly or indirectly, and, in the case where a Fund owns convertible securities, changes in the investment values or conversion premiums of such securities.
Subject to its fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies, a Fund may engage in short sales that are not “against the box,” which are sales by a Fund of securities, contracts or instruments that it does not own in hopes of purchasing the same security, contract or instrument at a later date at a lower price. The technique is also used to protect a profit in a long-term position in a security, commodity futures contract or other instrument. To make delivery to the buyer, a Fund must borrow or purchase the security. If borrowed, a Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed from the third party, so a Fund must purchase the security at the market price at a later time. If the price of the security has increased during this time, then a Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price of the security from the time of the short sale plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. (Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, a Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.) Short sales of forward commitments and derivatives do not involve borrowing a security. These types of short sales may include futures, options, contracts for differences, forward contracts on financial instruments and options such as contracts, credit-linked instruments, and swap contracts.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with short sales include: Leverage Risk, Market Risk and Short Positions Risk.
Sovereign Debt
Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. It may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. (See also Types of Investments – Foreign Securities.) In addition, there may be no legal recourse against a sovereign debtor in the event of a default.
Sovereign debt includes Brady Bonds, which are securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan, an initiative announced by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady in 1989 as a mechanism for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external commercial bank indebtedness.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with sovereign debt include: Credit Risk, Emerging Markets Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Standby Commitments
See Types of Investments – Municipal Securities above.
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U.S. Government and Related Obligations
U.S. Government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. Government or by various agencies or instrumentalities established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government differ in their interest rates, maturities and time of issuance, as well as with respect to whether they are guaranteed by the U.S. Government. U.S. Government and related obligations may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.
Investing in U.S. Government and related obligations is subject to certain risks. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality and, as a result, may be subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises historically have involved limited risk of loss of principal if held to maturity. However, no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to any of these entities if it is not obligated to do so by law.
Government-sponsored entities issuing securities include privately owned, publicly chartered entities created to reduce borrowing costs for certain sectors of the economy, such as farmers, homeowners, and students. They include the Federal Farm Credit Bank System, Farm Credit Financial Assistance Corporation, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA), and Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC). Government-sponsored entities may issue discount notes (with maturities ranging from overnight to 360 days) and bonds. On September 7, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an agency of the U.S. Government, placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. FHFA will act as the conservator to operate the enterprises until they are stabilized.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with U.S. Government and related obligations include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk, Reinvestment Risk and U.S. Government Obligations Risk.
Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations
Variable- and floating-rate obligations are debt instruments that provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate and, under certain circumstances, varying principal amounts. Unlike a fixed interest rate, a variable, or floating, rate is one that rises and declines based on the movement of an underlying index of interest rates and may pay interest at rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified formula. Variable- or floating-rate securities frequently include a demand feature enabling the holder to sell the securities to the issuer at par. In many cases, the demand feature can be exercised at any time. Some securities that do not have variable or floating interest rates may be accompanied by puts producing similar results and price characteristics. Variable-rate demand notes include master demand notes that are obligations that permit the investor to invest fluctuating amounts, which may change daily without penalty, pursuant to direct arrangements between the investor (as lender), and the borrower. The interest rates on these notes fluctuate. The issuer of such obligations normally has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal amount of the obligations plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice to the holders of such obligations. Because these obligations are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower, it is not contemplated that such instruments generally will be traded. There generally is not an established secondary market for these obligations. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the lender’s right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand. Such obligations frequently are not rated by credit rating agencies and may involve heightened risk of default by the issuer. Asset-backed securities, bank obligations, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as variable- and floating-rate obligations.
Most floating rate loans are acquired directly from the agent bank or from another holder of the loan by assignment. Most such loans are secured, and most impose restrictive covenants on the borrower. These loans are typically made by a syndicate of banks and institutional investors, represented by an agent bank which has negotiated and structured the loan and which is responsible generally for collecting interest, principal, and other amounts from the borrower on its own behalf and on behalf of the other lending institutions in the syndicate, and for enforcing its rights and the rights of the syndicate against the borrower. Each of the lending institutions, including the agent bank, lends to the borrower a portion of the total amount of the loan, and retains the corresponding interest in the loan. Floating rate loans may include delayed draw term loans and prefunded or synthetic letters of credit.
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A Fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans held by it will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan would adversely affect the income of the Fund and would likely reduce the value of its assets, which would be reflected in a reduction in the Fund’s NAV. Banks and other lending institutions generally perform a credit analysis of the borrower before originating a loan or purchasing an assignment in a loan. In selecting the loans in which the Fund will invest, however, the Investment Manager will not rely on that credit analysis of the agent bank, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrowers. The Investment Manager’s analysis may include consideration of the borrower’s financial strength and managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Investments in loans may be of any quality, including “distressed” loans, and will be subject to the Fund’s credit quality policy.
Loans may be structured in different forms, including assignments and participations. In an assignment, a Fund purchases an assignment of a portion of a lender’s interest in a loan. In this case, the Fund may be required generally to rely upon the assigning bank to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower, but would otherwise be entitled to all of such bank’s rights in the loan.
The borrower of a loan may, either at its own election or pursuant to terms of the loan documentation, prepay amounts of the loan from time to time. There is no assurance that a Fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any loan prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the original loan.
Corporate loans in which a Fund may purchase a loan assignment are made generally to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs, dividend payments to sponsors and other corporate activities. The highly leveraged capital structure of certain borrowers may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. The Fund may hold investments in loans for a very short period of time when opportunities to resell the investments that a Fund’s portfolio manager believes are attractive arise.
Certain of the loans acquired by a Fund may involve revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the Fund would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan assignment. To the extent that the Fund is committed to make additional loans under such an assignment, it will at all times designate cash or securities in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.
Notwithstanding its intention in certain situations to not receive material, non-public information with respect to its management of investments in floating rate loans, the Investment Manager may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in a Fund’s portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite the Investment Manager’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances the Investment Manager may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). As, and to the extent, required by applicable law, the Investment Manager’s ability to trade in these loans for the account of the Fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on the Investment Manager’s ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the Fund by, for example, preventing the Fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.
In some instances, other accounts managed by the Investment Manager may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose floating rate loans may be held in a Fund’s portfolio. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the floating rate loans held in the Fund’s portfolio, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities.
In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the issuer deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans. In such cases, the Investment Manager may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The Investment Manager will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the Investment Manager’s client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with variable- or floating-rate obligations include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Warrants and Rights
Warrants and rights are types of securities that give a holder a right to purchase shares of common stock. Warrants usually are issued together with a bond or preferred stock and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price typically for a period of years. Rights usually have a specified purchase price that is lower than the current market price and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock typically for a period of only weeks. Warrants
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may be used to enhance the marketability of a bond or preferred stock. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants may be considered to have more speculative characteristics than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date, if any.
The potential exercise price of warrants or rights may exceed their market price, such as when there is no movement in the market price or the market price of the common stock declines.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with warrants and rights include: Convertible Securities Risk, Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Information Regarding Risks
The following is a summary of risks of investing in the Funds and the risk characteristics associated with the various investment instruments available to the Funds for investment. A Fund’s risk profile is largely defined by the Fund’s primary portfolio holdings and principal investment strategies (for the description of a Fund’s principal investment strategies and principal risks, please see that Fund’s prospectus). However, the Funds are allowed to use securities, instruments, other assets and investments, strategies and techniques other than those described in the Fund’s principal investment strategies, subjecting the Fund to the risks associated with these securities, instruments, other assets and investments, strategies and techniques.
An investment in the Funds is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. One or more of the following risks may be associated with an investment in a Fund at any time:
Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies.
Activist Strategies Risk. The Fund may purchase securities of a company that is the subject of a proxy contest or which activist investors are attempting to influence, in the expectation that new management or a change in business strategies will cause the price of the company’s securities to increase. If the proxy contest, or the new management, is not successful, the market price of the company’s securities will typically fall.
In addition, where an acquisition or restructuring transaction or proxy fight is opposed by the subject company’s management, the transaction often becomes the subject of litigation. Such litigation involves substantial uncertainties and may impose substantial cost and expense on the Fund.
Allocation Risk. For any Fund that uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Arbitrage Strategies Risk. The Fund may purchase securities at prices only slightly below the anticipated value to be paid or exchanged for such securities in a merger, exchange offer or cash tender offer, and substantially above the prices at which such securities traded immediately prior to announcement of the transaction. If there is a perception that the proposed transaction will not be consummated or will be delayed, the market price of the security may decline sharply, which would result in a loss to the Fund. In addition, if the manager determines that the offer is likely to be increased, either by the original bidder or by another party, the Fund may purchase securities above the offer price; such purchases are subject to a high degree of risk.
The consummation of mergers and tender and exchange offers can be prevented or delayed by a variety of factors, including opposition by the management or shareholders of the target company, private litigation or litigation involving regulatory agencies, and approval or non-action of regulatory agencies. The likelihood of occurrence of these and other factors, and their impact on an investment, can be very difficult to evaluate.
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Bankruptcy Process and Trade Claims Risk. The Fund may purchase bankruptcy claims. There are a number of significant risks inherent in the bankruptcy process. The effect of a bankruptcy filing on a company may adversely and permanently affect the company and cause it to be incapable of restoring itself as a viable business. Many events in a bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversarial proceedings. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict and a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays while the plan of reorganization is being finalized. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and are paid out of the debtor’s estate before any return to creditors. The Fund may also purchase trade claims against companies, including companies in bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings, which include claims of suppliers for unpaid goods delivered, claims for unpaid services rendered, claims for contract rejection damages and claims related to litigation. An investment in trade claims is very speculative, illiquid, and carries a high degree of risk. The markets in trade claims are generally not regulated by U.S. federal securities laws or the SEC.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Closed-End Investment Company Risk. Closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their NAV, which may affect whether the Fund will realize gain or loss upon its sale of the closed-end investment company’s shares. Closed-end investment companies may employ leverage, which also subjects the closed-end investment company to increased risks such as increased volatility.
Commodity-related Investment Risk. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include demand for the commodity, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory and other developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may, in turn, reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the value of the Fund's investments to greater volatility than other types of investments. No, or limited, active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments thereby subjecting the Fund to increased liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). Certain types of commodities instruments are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. The Fund may make commodity-related investments through, and may invest in one or more underlying funds that make commodity-related investments through, one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries organized outside the U.S. that are generally not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. However, any such subsidiary is wholly owned and controlled by the Fund and any underlying fund subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by the underlying fund, making it unlikely that the subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or the underlying fund and their shareholders. Further, any such subsidiaries will be subject to the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, and can be adversely affected by developments in that jurisdiction.
Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund concentrates its investment in particular issuers, countries, geographic regions, industries or sectors, the Fund may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of issuers, countries, geographic regions, industries, sectors or investments.
Confidential Information Access Risk. In many instances, issuers of floating rate loans offer to furnish material, non-public information (Confidential Information) to prospective purchasers or holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans to help potential investors assess the value of the loan. Portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of Confidential Information about the issuers of floating rate loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information from these issuers may disadvantage the Fund as compared to other floating rate loan investors, and may adversely affect the price the Fund pays for the loans it purchases, or the price at which the Fund sells the loans. Further, in situations when holders of floating rate loans are asked, for example, to grant consents, waivers or amendments, the ability to assess the desirability thereof may be compromised. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive
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to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s share value to fluctuate.
In the event of a counterparty’s (or its affiliate’s) insolvency, the Fund’s ability to exercise remedies, such as the termination of transactions, netting of obligations and realization on collateral, could be stayed or eliminated under new special resolution regimes adopted in the United States, the European Union and various other jurisdictions. Such regimes generally provide government authorities with broad authority to intervene when a financial institution is experiencing financial difficulty. In particular, the regulatory authorities could reduce, eliminate or convert to equity the liabilities to the Fund of a counterparty subject to such proceedings in the European Union (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”).
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Debt instruments backed by an issuer's taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer's power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt instruments are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer's taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. Unless otherwise provided in the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategies, investment grade debt instruments are those rated at or above BBB- by S&P, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. Conversely, below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk”) debt instruments are those rated below BBB- by S&P, or equivalently rated by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch Ratings, Inc., or, if unrated, determined by the management team to be of comparable quality. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower quality or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral securing the loan, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower.
Cybersecurity Breaches, Systems Failure and Other Business Disruptions Risk. The Funds and their service providers, including the Investment Manager and its affiliates (Ameriprise Financial, which is the Investment Manager’s parent company, the Distributor and the Transfer Agent (together with the Investment Manager, referred to herein as we, us and our)), any investment subadvisers, the Custodian and other service providers, as well as all their underlying service providers (collectively, the Service Provider)s, are heavily dependent on their respective employees, agents and other personnel (Personnel) and proprietary and third-party technology and infrastructure and related business, operational and information systems, networks, computers, devices, programs, applications, data and functions (collectively, Systems) to perform necessary business activities. The Systems and Personnel that the Funds and the Service Providers rely upon may be vulnerable to significant disruptions and failures, including those relating to or arising from cybersecurity breaches (including intentional acts, e.g., cyber-attacks, hacking, phishing scams, and unauthorized payment requests, and unintentional events or activity), Systems malfunctions, user error, conduct (or misconduct) of or arising from Personnel, Systems remote access (particularly important given the increased
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use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business), or other events or circumstances – whether foreseeable, unforeseeable, or beyond our control, such as acts of war, terrorism, natural disaster, widespread disease, pandemic or other public health crises. These types of events may result in, among other things, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss or reduction in Personnel and other resources. In the above circumstances, the Funds and the Service Providers’ operations may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily halted. The Fund’s securities market counterparties may face the same or similar systems failure, cybersecurity breaches and other business disruptions risks.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures, particularly cybersecurity breaches, may result in (i) proprietary or confidential information or data being lost, withheld for ransom, misused, destroyed, stolen, released, corrupted or rendered unavailable, including personal investor information (and that of beneficial owners of investors), (ii) unauthorized access to Systems and loss of operational capacity, including from, for example, denial-of-service attacks (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users), and (iii) the misappropriation of Fund or investor assets or sensitive information. Any such events could negatively impact Service Provider Systems and may have significant adverse impacts on the Funds and their shareholders.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches may cause delays or mistakes in materials provided to shareholders and may also interfere with, or negatively impact, the processing of Fund investor transactions, pricing of Fund investments, calculating Fund NAVs, and trading within a Fund’s portfolio, while causing or subjecting the Funds to potential financial losses as well as additional compliance, legal, and operational costs. Such events could negatively impact the Fund, its shareholders and the business, financial condition and performance or results of operations of the Service Providers.
The trend toward broad consumer and general public notification of Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches could exacerbate the harm to the Fund, its shareholders and Service Provider business, financial condition and performance or results of operations. Even if we successfully protect our Systems from failures or cybersecurity breaches, we may incur significant expenses in connection with our responses to any such events, as well as the need for adoption, implementation and maintenance of appropriate security measures. We could also suffer harm to our business and reputation if attempted or actual cybersecurity breaches are publicized. We cannot be certain that evolving threats from cyber-criminals and other cyber-threat actors, exploitation of new vulnerabilities in our Systems, or other developments, or data thefts, System break-ins or inappropriate access will not compromise or breach the technology or other security measures protecting our Systems.
We continue to encounter and seek to address threats of business disruption associated with Systems failure. For example, in 2015 the then-available Columbia ETFs were for a period unable to price their portfolios due to a technology issue impacting the ETFs’ third-party administrator. In another case, in 2014, Ameriprise Financial and other financial institutions experienced distributed denial-of-service attacks intended to disrupt clients’ online access. Ameriprise Financial was able to detect and respond to this incident without evident loss of client assets or information, Ameriprise Financial has since worked to enhance its security capabilities and will continue to assess its ability to monitor and respond to such threats. In addition to the foregoing, the experiences of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates with Systems failures, cybersecurity breaches and technology threats have included, as examples, phishing scams, introductions of malware, attempts at electronic break-ins, and unauthorized payment requests. Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches may be difficult to detect, may go undetected for long periods or may never be detected. The impact of such events may be compounded over time. Although we and the Funds evaluate the materiality of Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches detected, we and the Funds may conclude that some such events are not material and may choose not to address them. Such conclusions may not prove to be correct.
Although we have established business continuity/disaster recovery plans and systems (Continuity and Recovery Plans) designed to prevent or mitigate the effects of Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, there are inherent limitations in Continuity and Recovery Plans. These limitations include the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that Continuity and Recovery Plans might not – despite testing and monitoring – operate as designed, be sufficient to stop or mitigate negative impacts, including financial losses, or otherwise be unable to achieve their objectives. The Funds and their shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. In addition, the Fund cannot control the Continuity and Recovery Plans of the Service Providers. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Funds will not suffer financial losses relating to Systems or Personnel disruptions or failures or cybersecurity breaches affecting them or us in the future.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches may necessitate significant investment to repair or replace impacted Systems. In addition, the Funds may incur substantial costs for risk management in connection with failures or interruptions of Systems, Personnel, Continuity and Recovery Plans and cybersecurity defense measures in order to attempt to prevent any such events or incidents in the future, which, if they should occur, may be prolonged, negatively impacting business operations.
Any insurance or other risk-shifting tools available to us in order to manage or mitigate the risks associated with Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches are generally subject to terms and limitations such as deductibles, coinsurance, limits and policy exclusions, as well as risk of counterparty denial of coverage, default or insolvency. While Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates maintain cyber liability insurance that provides both third-party liability and first-party
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liability coverages, this insurance does not cover the Funds and, with regard to covered entities, may not be sufficient to protect us against all losses. In addition, contractual remedies may not be available with respect to Service Providers or may prove inadequate if available (e.g., because of limits on the liability of the Service Providers) to protect the Funds against all losses.
Stock and other market exchanges, financial intermediaries, and issuers of, and counterparties to, the Funds’ investments and, in the case of ETFs, market makers and authorized participants, also may be adversely impacted by Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, in their own businesses, subjecting them to the risks described here, as well as other additional or enhanced risks particular to their businesses, which could result in losses to the Funds and their shareholders. Issuers of securities or other instruments in which the Funds invest may also experience Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, which may cause the Funds’ investment in such issuers to lose money.
Columbia Management and its affiliates have systematically implemented strategies to address the operating environment spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. To promote the safety and security of our employees and to assure the continuity of our business operations, we have implemented a work from home protocol for virtually all of our employee population, restricted business travel, and provided resources for complying with the guidance from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and governments. Our operations teams seek to operate without significant disruptions in service. Our pandemic strategy takes into consideration that a pandemic could be widespread and may occur in multiple waves, affecting different communities at different times with varying levels of severity. We cannot, however, predict the impact that natural or man-made disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may have on the ability of our employees and third-party service providers to continue ordinary business operations and technology functions over near- or longer-term periods.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with investing in the particular country of an issuer, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events, including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics, occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund. A potential conflict of interest exists to the extent that the Fund invests in ADRs for which the Fund's custodian serves as depository bank.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial loss for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
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Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). The effectiveness of any currency hedging strategy by a Fund may be reduced by the Fund’s inability to precisely match forward contract amounts and the value of securities involved. Forward foreign currency contracts used for hedging may also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase or decrease in the value of the currency. The Fund may use these instruments to gain leveraged exposure to currencies, which is a speculative investment practice that increases the Fund's risk exposure and the possibility of losses. Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
A forward interest rate agreement is a derivative whereby the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates (based on the notional value of the agreement). If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates (based on the notional value of the agreement). The Fund may act as a buyer or a seller.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A bond (or debt instrument) future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a bond or other debt instrument, a basket of bonds or other debt instrument, or the bonds or other debt instruments in an index on a specified date at a predetermined price. The buyer (long position) of a bond future is obliged to buy the underlying reference at the agreed price on expiry of the future.
A commodity-linked future is a derivative that is an agreement to buy or sell one or more commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures at a specific date in the future at a specific price.
A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Inverse Floaters Risk. Inverse variable or floating rate obligations, sometimes referred to as inverse floaters, are a type of over-the-counter derivative debt instrument with a variable or floating coupon rate that moves in the opposite direction of an underlying reference, typically short-term interest rates. As short-term interest rates go down, the holders of the inverse floaters receive more income and, as short-term interest rates go up, the holders of the inverse floaters receive less income. Variable rate securities provide for a specified periodic adjustment in the coupon rate, while floating rate securities have a coupon rate that changes whenever there is a change in a designated benchmark index or the issuer’s credit rating. While inverse floaters tend to provide more income than similar term and credit quality fixed-rate bonds, they also exhibit greater volatility in price movement, which could result in significant losses for the Fund. An inverse floater may have the effect of investment leverage to the extent that its coupon rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index or reference rate of interest, which could result in increased losses for the Fund. There is a risk that the current interest rate on variable and floating rate instruments may not accurately reflect current market interest rates or adequately compensate the holder for the current creditworthiness of the issuer. Some inverse floaters are structured with liquidity features and may include market-dependent liquidity features that may expose the Fund to greater liquidity risk. Inverse floaters can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. By investing in options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments typically provide interest income, thereby offering a potential yield advantage over investing directly in an underlying reference. Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. In some cases, depending on its terms, a structured investment may provide that principal and/or interest payments may be adjusted below zero resulting in a potential loss of principal and/or interest payments. Additionally, the particular terms of a structured investment may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price change of the underlying reference. Economic leverage will increase the volatility of structured investment prices, and could result in increased losses for the Fund. The Fund’s use of structured instruments may not work as intended. If structured investments are used to reduce the duration of the Fund’s portfolio, this may limit the Fund’s return when having a longer duration would be beneficial (for instance, when interest rates decline). Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk
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exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A commodity-linked structured note is a derivative (structured investment) that has principal and/or interest payments based on the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), a basket of commodities, indices of commodity futures or other economic variable. If payment of interest on a commodity-linked structured note is linked to the value of a particular commodity, basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might receive lower interest payments (or not receive any of the interest due) on its investments if there is a loss of value in the underlying reference. Further, to the extent that the amount of principal to be repaid upon maturity is linked to the value of a particular commodity, basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might not receive a portion (or any) of the principal at maturity of the investment or upon earlier exchange. At any time, the risk of loss associated with a particular structured note in the Fund’s portfolio may be significantly higher than the value of the note. A liquid secondary market may not exist for the commodity-linked structured notes held in the Fund’s portfolio, which may make it difficult for the notes to be sold at a price acceptable to the portfolio manager(s) or for the Fund to accurately value them.
An equity-linked note (ELN) is a derivative (structured investment) that has principal and/or interest payments based on the value of a single equity security, a basket of equity securities or an index of equity securities, and generally has risks similar to these underlying equity securities. ELNs may be leveraged or unleveraged. An ELN typically provides interest income, thereby offering a yield advantage over investing directly in an underlying equity. The Fund may purchase ELNs that trade on a securities exchange or those that trade on the over-the-counter markets, as well as in privately negotiated transactions with the issuer of the ELN. Investments in ELNs are also subject to liquidity risk, which may make ELNs difficult to sell and value. The liquidity of unlisted ELNs is normally determined by the willingness of the issuer to make a market in the ELN. While the Fund will seek to purchase ELNs only from issuers that it believes to be willing and able to repurchase the ELN at a reasonable price, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell at such a price. Furthermore, such inability to sell may impair the Fund’s ability to enter into other transactions at a time when doing so might be advantageous. The Fund’s investments in ELNs have the potential to lead to significant losses, including the amount the Fund invested in the ELN, because ELNs are subject to the market and volatility risks associated with their underlying equity. In addition, because ELNs often take the form of unsecured notes of the issuer, the Fund would be subject to the risk that the issuer may default on its obligations under the ELN, thereby subjecting the Fund to the further risk of being too concentrated in the securities (including ELNs) of that issuer. However, the Fund typically considers ELNs alongside other securities of the issuer in its assessment of issuer concentration risk. In addition, ELNs may exhibit price behavior that does not correlate with the underlying securities. ELNs may also be subject to leverage risk. The Fund may or may not hold an ELN until its maturity. ELNs also include participation notes.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial investment. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
A commodity-linked swap is a derivative (swap) that is an agreement where the underlying reference is the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures.
A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit
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  default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
An inflation rate swap is a derivative typically used to transfer inflation risk from one party to another through an exchange of cash flows. In an inflation rate swap, one party pays a fixed rate on a notional principal amount, while the other party pays a floating rate linked to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including LIBOR, swap rates, treasury rates and foreign interest rates.
Total return swaps are derivative swap transactions in which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return of a defined underlying reference during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return of a different underlying reference.
Contracts for differences are swap arrangements in which the parties agree that their return (or loss) will be based on the relative performance of two different groups or baskets of securities or other instruments. Often, one or both baskets will be an established securities index. The Fund’s return will be based on changes in value of theoretical long futures positions in the securities comprising one basket (with an aggregate face value equal to the notional amount of the contract for differences) and theoretical short futures positions in the securities comprising the other basket. The Fund also may use actual long and short futures positions and achieve similar market exposure by netting the payment obligations of the two contracts. If the short basket outperforms the long basket, the Fund will realize a loss – even in circumstances when the securities in both the long and short baskets appreciate in value.
Derivatives Risk – Swaptions Risk. A swaption is an options contract on a swap agreement. These transactions give a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into new swap agreements or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms, in return for payment of the purchase price (the “premium”) of the option. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The writer of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the market value on the underlying swap agreement. Swaptions can be bundled and sold as a package. These are commonly called interest rate caps, floors and collars.
Distressed Securities Risk. The Fund may purchase distressed securities of business enterprises involved in workouts, liquidations, reorganizations, bankruptcies and similar situations. Since there is typically substantial uncertainty concerning the outcome of transactions involving business enterprises in these situations, there is a high degree of risk of loss, including loss of the entire investment.
In bankruptcy, there can be considerable delay in reaching accord on a restructuring plan acceptable to a bankrupt company’s lenders, bondholders and other creditors and then obtaining the approval of the bankruptcy court. Such delays could result in substantial losses to the investments in such company’s securities or obligations. Moreover, there is no assurance that a plan favorable to the class of securities held by the Fund will be adopted or that the subject company might not eventually be liquidated rather than reorganized.
In liquidations (both in and out of bankruptcy) and other forms of corporate reorganization, there exists the risk that the reorganization either will be unsuccessful, will be delayed or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security, the value of which will be less than the purchase price of the security in respect of which such distribution is received. It may be difficult to obtain accurate information concerning a company in financial distress, with the result that the analysis and valuation are especially difficult. The market for securities of such companies tends to be illiquid and sales may be possible only at substantial discounts.
Dollar Rolls Risk. Dollar rolls are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and may result in higher transactions costs for the Fund. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk).
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Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries.
Operational and Settlement Risks of Securities in Emerging Markets. In addition to having less developed securities markets, banks in emerging markets that are eligible foreign sub-custodians may be recently organized, lack extensive operating experience or lack effective government oversight or regulation. In addition, there may be legal restrictions or limitations on the ability of the Fund to recover assets held in custody by a foreign sub-custodian in the event of the bankruptcy of the sub-custodian. Because settlement systems may be less organized than in developed markets and because delivery versus payment settlement may not be possible or reliable, there may be a greater risk that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities of the Fund may be lost because of failures of or defects in the system, including fraud or corruption. Settlement systems in emerging markets also have a higher risk of failed trades.
Risks Related to Currencies and Corporate Actions in Emerging Markets. Risks related to currencies and corporate actions are also greater in emerging market countries than in developed countries. For example, some emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not have an active trading market internationally, or countries may have varying exchange rates. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience sustained periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates which can have negative effects on a country’s economy and securities markets. Corporate action procedures in emerging market countries may be less reliable and have limited or no involvement by the depositories and central banks. Lack of standard practices and payment systems can lead to significant delays in payment.
Risks Related to Corporate and Securities Laws in Emerging Markets. Securities laws in emerging markets may be relatively new and unsettled and, consequently, there is a risk of rapid and unpredictable change in laws regarding foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Accordingly, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In addition, the systems of corporate governance to which issuers in certain emerging markets are subject may be less advanced than the systems to which issuers located in more developed countries are subject, and therefore, shareholders of such issuers may not receive many of the protections available to shareholders of issuers located in more developed countries. These risks may be heightened in China and Russia.
China Bond Connect Risk. The risks noted here are in addition to the risks described under Emerging Market Securities Risk. Chinese debt instruments trade on the China Interbank Bond Market (“CIBM”) and may be purchased through a market access program that is designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the PRC (“Bond Connect”). There are significant risks inherent in investing in Chinese debt instruments, similar to the risks of investing in other fixed-income securities in emerging markets. The prices of debt instruments traded on the CIBM may fluctuate significantly due to low trading volume and potential lack of liquidity. The rules to access debt instruments that trade on the CIBM through Bond Connect are relatively new and subject to change, which may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to invest in these instruments and to enforce its rights as a beneficial owner of these instruments. Trading through Bond Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect a Fund’s investments and returns. In addition, securities offered through Bond Connect may lose their eligibility for trading through the program at any time. If Bond Connect securities lose their eligibility for trading through the program, they may be sold but can no longer be purchased through Bond Connect. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect a Fund’s investments or returns.
Investments made through Bond Connect are subject to order, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in China, which could pose risks to a Fund. CIBM does not support all trading strategies (such as short selling) and investments in Chinese debt instruments that trade on the CIBM are subject to the risks of suspension of trading without cause or notice, trade failure or trade rejection and default of securities depositories and counterparties. Furthermore, Chinese debt instruments purchased via Bond Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Central Moneymarkets Unit (“CMU”) maintained with a China-based depository (either the China Central Depository & Clearing Co. (“CCDC”) or the Shanghai Clearing House (“SCH”)). A Fund’s ownership interest in these Chinese debt instruments will not be reflected directly in book entry with CCDC or SCH and will instead only be reflected on the books of a Fund’s Hong Kong sub-custodian. Therefore, a Fund’s ability to enforce its rights as a bondholder may depend on CMU’s ability
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or willingness as record-holder of the bonds to enforce a Fund’s rights as a bondholder. Additionally, the omnibus manner in which Chinese debt instruments are held could expose a Fund to the credit risk of the relevant securities depositories and a Fund’s Hong Kong sub-custodian. While a Fund holds a beneficial interest in the instruments it acquires through Bond Connect, the mechanisms that beneficial owners may use to enforce their rights are untested. In addition, courts in China have limited experience in applying the concept of beneficial ownership. Moreover, Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Bond Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A Fund’s investments in Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect are generally subject to a number of regulations and restrictions, including Chinese securities regulations and listing rules, loss recovery limitations and disclosure of interest reporting obligations. A Fund will not benefit from access to Hong Kong investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Bond Connect.
Bond Connect can only operate when both China and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. In addition, the trading, settlement and IT systems required for non-Chinese investors in Bond Connect are relatively new. In the event of systems malfunctions or extreme market conditions, trading via Bond Connect could be disrupted. The rules applicable to taxation of Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect remain subject to further clarification. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments via Bond Connect could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Fund, which may negatively affect investment returns for shareholder. Bond Connect trades are settled in RMB, and investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of RMB in Hong Kong, which cannot be guaranteed.
China Stock Connect Risk. The risks noted here are in addition to the risks described under Emerging Market Securities Risk. A Fund may, directly or indirectly (through, for example, participation notes or other types of equity-linked notes), purchase shares in mainland China-based companies that trade on Chinese stock exchanges such as the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (China A-Shares) through the Shanghai and Shenzhen – Hong Kong Stock Connect (Stock Connect), or that may be available in the future through additional stock connect programs, a mutual market access program designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) via brokers in Hong Kong. There are significant risks inherent in investing in China A-Shares through Stock Connect. The underdeveloped state of PRC’s investment and banking systems subjects the settlement, clearing, and registration of China A-Shares transactions to heightened risks. Stock Connect can only operate when both PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. As such, if either or both markets are closed on a U.S. trading day, a Fund may not be able to dispose of its China A-Shares in a timely manner, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Because Stock Connect is relatively new, its effects on the market for trading China A-shares are uncertain. In addition, the trading, settlement and information technology (“IT”) systems required to operate Stock Connect are relatively new and continuing to evolve. In the event that the relevant systems do not function properly, trading through Stock Connect could be disrupted.
PRC regulations require that, in order to sell its China A-Shares, a Fund must pre-deliver the China A-Shares to a broker. If the China A-Shares are not in the broker’s possession before the market opens on the day of sale, the sell order will be rejected. This requirement could also limit a Fund’s ability to dispose of its China A-Shares purchased through Stock Connect in a timely manner. Additionally, Stock Connect is subject to daily quota limitations on purchases of China A-Shares. Once the daily quota is reached, orders to purchase additional China A-Shares through Stock Connect will be rejected. A Fund’s investment in China A-Shares may only be traded through Stock Connect and is not otherwise transferable. Stock Connect utilizes an omnibus clearing structure, and the Fund’s shares will be registered in its custodian’s name on the Central Clearing and Settlement System. This may limit the ability of the Investment Manager (and/or any subadviser, as the case may be) to effectively manage a Fund, and may expose the Fund to the credit risk of its custodian or to greater risk of expropriation. Investment in China A-Shares through Stock Connect may be available only through a single broker that is an affiliate of the Fund’s custodian, which may affect the quality of execution provided by such broker. Stock Connect restrictions could also limit the ability of a Fund to sell its China A-Shares in a timely manner, or to sell them at all. Further, different fees, costs and taxes are imposed on foreign investors acquiring China A-Shares acquired through Stock Connect, and these fees, costs and taxes may be higher than comparable fees, costs and taxes imposed on owners of other securities providing similar investment exposure.
Event-Driven Trading Risk. The Fund may seek to profit from the occurrence of specific corporate or other events. A delay in the timing of these events, or the failure of these events to occur at all, may have a significant negative effect on the Fund’s performance.
Event-driven investing requires the relevant manager to make predictions about (i) the likelihood that an event will occur and (ii) the impact such event will have on the value of a company’s securities. If the event fails to occur or it does not have the effect foreseen, losses can result. For example, the adoption of new business strategies, a meaningful change in management or the sale
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of a division or other significant assets by a company may not be valued as highly by the market as the manager had anticipated, resulting in losses. In addition, a company may announce a plan of restructuring which promises to enhance value and fail to implement it, resulting in losses to investors.
Event-Linked Instruments Risk. The Fund may seek to profit from investment in debt securities whose performance is linked to the occurrence of specific “trigger” events, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomena. If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, the Fund may lose a portion or all of its principal invested in the bond or suffer a reduction in credited interest. Some event-linked bonds have features that delay the return of capital upon the occurrence of a specified event; in these cases, whether or not there is loss of capital or interest, the return on the investment may be significantly lower during the extension period. Bonds commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds” are a type of event-linked instrument in which the Fund may invest. Catastrophe bonds may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities (such special purpose entities are created to accomplish a narrow and well-defined objective, such as the issuance of a note in connection with a reinsurance transaction). The return on these securities is tied primarily to property insurance risk and is analogous to underwriting insurance in certain circumstances. By isolating insurance risk, these securities are largely uncorrelated to other more traditional investments. Risks associated with investment in catastrophe bonds would include, for example, a major hurricane or similar catastrophe striking a heavily populated area of the East Coast of the United States or a major earthquake with an epicenter in an urban area on the West Coast of the United States. In addition to specified trigger events, catastrophe bonds may expose the Fund to other risks, such as credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due), counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund), adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, adverse tax consequences, liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), and foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Event-linked exposure often provides for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. From time to time, the volume of catastrophe bonds available in the market may be insufficient to enable the Fund to invest as great a percentage of its assets in catastrophe bonds as it would like.
Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) Risk. Investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. An ETF’s share price may not track its specified market index (if any) and may trade below its NAV. Certain ETFs use a “passive” investment strategy and do not take defensive positions in volatile or declining markets. Other ETFs in which the Fund may invest are actively managed ETFs (i.e., they do not track a particular benchmark), which indirectly subjects the Fund to active management risk. An active secondary market in an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained and may be halted or interrupted due to actions by its listing exchange, unusual market conditions or other reasons. There can be no assurance an ETF’s shares will continue to be listed on an active exchange. In addition, shareholders bear both their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses and, indirectly, the ETF’s expenses, incurred through the Fund’s ownership of the ETF. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying ETF being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the ETF could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such ETF. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the ETF. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the ETF.
The Funds generally expect to purchase shares of ETFs through broker-dealers in transactions on a securities exchange, and in such cases the Funds will pay customary brokerage commissions for each purchase and sale. Shares of an ETF may also be acquired by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF’s underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit, with the ETF’s custodian, in exchange for which the ETF will issue a quantity of new shares sometimes referred to as a “creation unit.” Similarly, shares of an ETF purchased on an exchange may be accumulated until they represent a creation unit, and the creation unit may be redeemed in kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF’s NAV) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. The Funds may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities (and any required cash) to purchase creation units. The Funds’ ability to redeem creation units may be limited by the 1940 Act, which provides that ETFs, the shares of which are purchased in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act, will not be obligated to redeem such shares in an amount exceeding one percent of their total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.
Exchange-Traded Notes Risk. Exchange-traded notes (ETNs) are unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities that expose the Fund to the risk that an ETN’s issuer may be unable to pay, which means that the Fund is subject to issuer credit risk, including that the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. ETNs do not typically offer principal protection, so the Fund may lose some or all of its investment. The
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returns of ETNs are usually linked to the performance of a market benchmark or strategy, less investor fees and expenses. The Fund will bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the ETN, which may cause the Fund’s returns to be lower. The return on ETNs will typically be lower than the total return on a direct investment in the components of the underlying index or strategy because of the ETN’s investor fees and expenses. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying market, changes in the applicable interest rates, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying benchmark or strategy.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Restrictions on currency trading may be imposed by foreign countries, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Even though the currencies of some countries may be pegged to the U.S. dollar, the conversion rate may be controlled by government regulation or intervention at levels significantly different than what would normally prevail in a free market. Significant revaluations of the U.S. dollar exchange rate of these currencies could cause substantial reductions in the Fund’s NAV.
Foreign Currency-Related Tax Risk. As a regulated investment company (RIC), the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund may gain exposure to local currency markets through forward currency contracts. Although foreign currency gains currently constitute “qualifying income,” the Internal Revenue Service has the authority to issue regulations excluding from the definition of “qualifying income” a RIC’s foreign currency gains not “directly related” to its “principal business” of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect thereto). Such regulations might treat gains from some of the Fund’s foreign currency-denominated positions as not qualifying income and there is a possibility that such regulations might be applied retroactively, in which case, the Fund might not qualify as a RIC for one or more years. In the event the Internal Revenue Service issues such regulations, the Fund’s Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or the Fund’s liquidation.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to foreign securities involve certain risks not associated with investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations, war, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods
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of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa.
Operational and Settlement Risks of Foreign Securities. The Fund’s foreign securities are generally held outside the United States in the primary market for the securities in the custody of certain eligible foreign banks and trust companies (“foreign sub-custodians”), as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). Settlement practices for foreign securities may differ from those in the United States. Some countries have limited governmental oversight and regulation of industry practices, stock exchanges, depositories, registrars, brokers and listed companies, which increases the risk of corruption and fraud and the possibility of losses to the Fund. In particular, under certain circumstances, foreign securities may settle on a delayed delivery basis, meaning that the Fund may be required to make payment for securities before the Fund has actually received delivery of the securities or deliver securities prior to the receipt of payment. Typically, in these cases, the Fund will receive evidence of ownership in accordance with the generally accepted settlement practices in the local market entitling the Fund to delivery or payment at a future date, but there is a risk that the security will not be delivered to the Fund or that payment will not be received, although the Fund and its foreign sub-custodians take reasonable precautions to mitigate this risk. Losses can also result from lost, stolen or counterfeit securities; defaults by brokers and banks; failures or defects of the settlement system; or poor and improper record keeping by registrars and issuers.
Share Blocking. Share blocking refers to a practice in certain foreign markets under which an issuer’s securities are blocked from trading at the custodian or sub-custodian level for a specified number of days before and, in certain instances, after a shareholder meeting where a vote of shareholders takes place. The blocking period can last up to several weeks. Share blocking may prevent the Fund from buying or selling securities during this period, because during the time shares are blocked, trades in such securities will not settle. It may be difficult or impossible to lift blocking restrictions, with the particular requirements varying widely by country. As a consequence of these restrictions, the Investment Manager, on behalf of the Fund, may abstain from voting proxies in markets that require share blocking.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than typical emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. The increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries. In addition, frontier market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political and economic conditions. Many frontier market countries are heavily dependent on international trade, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns and other conditions in other countries. Some frontier market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in frontier market countries are even more likely than emerging markets securities to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk.
Fund-of-Funds Risk. Determinations regarding asset classes or underlying funds and the Fund’s allocations thereto may not successfully achieve the Fund’s investment objective, in whole or in part. The selected underlying funds’ performance may be lower than the performance of the asset class they were selected to represent or may be lower than the performance of alternative underlying funds that could have been selected to represent the asset class. The Fund also is exposed to the same risks as the underlying funds in direct proportion to the allocation of its assets among the underlying funds. Therefore, to the extent that the Fund invests significantly in a particular underlying fund, the Fund’s performance would be significantly impacted by the
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performance of such underlying fund. Generally, by investing in a combination of underlying funds, the Fund has exposure to the risks of many areas of the market. By concentrating its investments in relatively few underlying funds, the Fund may have more concentrated market exposures, subjecting the Fund to greater risk of loss should those markets decline or fail to rise. The ability of the Fund to realize its investment objective will depend, in large part, on the extent to which the underlying funds realize their investment objectives. There is no guarantee that the underlying funds will achieve their respective investment objectives. The performance of underlying funds could be adversely affected if other entities that invest in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Because the expenses and costs of each underlying fund are shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in an underlying fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for an underlying fund. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of an underlying fund. For certain funds-of-funds, the Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in another underlying fund(s), including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if the Investment Manager is unable to identify an appropriate alternate underlying fund(s) in a timely manner or at all.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
Global Economic Risk. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region or across the globe. For instance, a significant slowdown in China’s economy is adversely affecting worldwide commodity prices and the economies of many countries, especially those that depend heavily on commodity production and/or trade with China. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations. The imposition of sanctions by the United States or another government on a country could cause disruptions to the country’s financial system and economy, which could negatively impact the value of securities.
EuroZone. A number of countries in the European Union (EU) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries. If the euro is dissolved entirely, the legal and contractual consequences for holders of euro-denominated obligations and derivative contracts would be determined by laws in effect at such time. Such investments may continue to be held, or purchased, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted under applicable law. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Certain countries in the EU have had to accept assistance from supra-governmental agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Stability Mechanism (the ESM) or other supra-governmental agencies. The European Central Bank has also been intervening to purchase Eurozone debt in an attempt to stabilize markets and reduce borrowing costs.
There can be no assurance that these agencies will continue to intervene or provide further assistance and markets may react adversely to any expected reduction in the financial support provided by these agencies. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, could be significant and far-reaching.
Brexit. At a referendum in June 2016, the citizens of the United Kingdom (the UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU), thereby initiating the British exit from the EU (commonly known as “Brexit”). In March 2017, the UK formally invoked Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon to begin the negotiation of the terms of the withdrawal from the EU. On January 31, 2020, the UK
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formally exited the EU on the terms of the deal agreed at a political level between the UK and the EU, and entered into an implementation period until December 31, 2020, during which negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU will take place. However, there remains a significant degree of uncertainty as to the outcome of these negotiations, in particular relating to the final terms of the agreement to be negotiated with the EU or whether a final agreement will ultimately be reached by the end of the implementation period. During this period and beyond, the impact of Brexit on the UK and European economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts on currency and financial markets generally, such as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
The UK has one of the largest economies in Europe, and member countries of the EU are substantial trading partners of the UK. The UK financial service sector continues to face uncertainty over the final relationship with the EU and globally as a result of Brexit. For example, certain financial services operations may have to move outside of the UK after the end of the implementation period (e.g., currency trading, international settlement operations). Additionally, depending upon the final terms of Brexit, certain financial services businesses may be forced to move staff and comply with two separate sets of rules or lose business to firms in Europe. Furthermore, the final terms of Brexit may create the potential for decreased trade, the possibility of capital outflows from the UK, devaluation of the pound sterling, the cost of higher corporate bond spreads, and the risk that all the above could negatively impact business and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. As a result of Brexit, the British economy and its currency may be negatively impacted by changes to the UK’s economic and political relations with the EU and other countries. Any further exits from the EU by other member states, or the possibility of such exits, would likely cause additional market disruption globally and introduce new legal and regulatory uncertainties.
The impact of Brexit in the near- and long-term is still unknown and could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets, currencies and asset valuations around the world. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time.
Hedging Transactions Risk. The Fund may invest in securities and utilize financial instruments for a variety of hedging purposes. Hedging transactions may limit the opportunity for gain if the value of the portfolio position should increase. There can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in hedging transactions at any given time, even under volatile market conditions, or that any hedging transactions the Fund engages in will be successful. Moreover, it may not be possible for the Fund to enter into a hedging transaction at a price sufficient to protect its assets. The Fund may not anticipate a particular risk so as to hedge against it.
Hedging against a decline in the value of a portfolio position does not eliminate fluctuations in the values of portfolio positions or prevent losses, but establishes other positions designed to gain from those same developments, which moderates the decline in value. Such hedging transactions also limit the opportunity for gain if the value of the portfolio position should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible for the Fund to hedge against an exchange rate, interest rate or security price fluctuation that is generally anticipated, causing it to be unable to enter into a hedging transaction at a price sufficient to protect its assets from the decline in value of the portfolio positions anticipated as a result of such fluctuations.
The Fund is not required to attempt to hedge portfolio positions and, for various reasons, may determine not to do so. Furthermore, the Fund may not anticipate a particular risk so as to hedge against it. While the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce risk, such transactions may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if the Fund had not engaged in any such hedging transaction. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio position being hedged may vary. For a variety of reasons, the Fund may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to the risk of loss. The successful utilization of hedging and risk management transactions requires skills complementary to those needed in the selection of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Moreover, it should be noted that a portfolio will always be exposed to certain risks that cannot be hedged, such as credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due), counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund) and liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price).
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High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may consist of transactions involving refinancings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions and other financings for general corporate purposes. The Fund’s investments also may include senior obligations of a borrower issued in connection with a restructuring pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (commonly known as “debtor-in-possession” financings), provided that such senior obligations are determined by the Fund’s portfolio managers to be a suitable investment for the Fund. In such highly leveraged transactions, the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Such business objectives may include but are not limited to: management’s taking over control of a company (leveraged buy-out); reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a company (leveraged recapitalization); or acquiring another company. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments.
Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if prevailing interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). Very low or negative interest rates may prevent the Fund from generating positive returns and may increase the risk that, if followed by rising interest rates, the Fund’s performance will be negatively impacted. The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases in interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in prevailing interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. In addition, investments in ETFs have unique characteristics, including, but not limited to, the expense structure and additional expenses associated with investing in ETFs. The performance of the
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underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the underlying funds. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the underlying funds. The Investment Manager typically selects underlying funds from among the funds for which it, or an affiliate, acts as the investment manager (affiliated underlying funds) and will select an unaffiliated underlying fund only if the desired investment exposure is not available through an affiliated fund. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all.
IPO Risk. IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in IPOs, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations, war, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of an investment in the Fund.
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large Fund Investor Risk. The Fund may from time to time sell a substantial amount of its shares to relatively few investors or a single investor, including other funds advised by the Investment Manager, or third parties. Sales to and redemptions from large investors may be very substantial relative to the size of the Fund and carry potentially adverse effects. While it is not possible to predict the overall effect of such sales and redemptions, such transactions may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is required to invest cash received in connection with a sale or to sell a substantial amount of its portfolio securities to facilitate a redemption, in either case, a time when the Fund would otherwise prefer not to invest or sell, such as in an up market or down market, respectively. Such transactions may also increase the Fund’s transaction costs, which would also detract from Fund performance, while also having potentially negative tax consequences to investors. The Fund, because of a large redemption, may be forced to sell its liquid or more liquid positions, resulting in the Fund holding a higher percentage of less liquid or illiquid securities (i.e., investments that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the
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instrument). Because the expenses and costs of the Fund are shared by its investors, large redemptions in the Fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for non-redeeming Fund shareholders. In addition, in the event of a Fund proxy proposal, a large investor(s) could dictate with its/their vote the results of the proposal, which may have a less favorable impact on minority-stake shareholders.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the NAV of Fund shares and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any required asset segregation or position coverage requirements. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund’s obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
LIBOR Replacement Risk. London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR), which is used extensively in the U.S. and globally as a benchmark or reference rate for various commercial and financial contracts, among other “inter-bank offered” reference rates, is expected to be discontinued. The elimination of LIBOR may adversely affect the interest rates on, and value of, certain Fund investments for which the value is tied to LIBOR. Such investments may include bank loans, derivatives, floating rate loans, and other assets or liabilities tied to LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop compelling or inducing banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. However, it remains unclear if LIBOR will continue to exist in its current, or a modified, form. Actions by regulators have resulted in the establishment of alternative reference rates to LIBOR in most major currencies. The U.S. Federal Reserve, based on the recommendations of the New York Federal Reserve’s Alternative Reference Rate Committee (comprised of major derivative market participants and their regulators), has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), that is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Proposals for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced or have already begun publication. Markets are slowly developing in response to these new reference rates. Questions around liquidity impacted by these rates, and how to appropriately adjust these rates at the time of transition, remain a concern for the Fund. The effect of any changes to, or discontinuation of, LIBOR on the Fund will vary depending, among other things, on (1) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (2) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets in general and may also present heightened risk to market participants, including public companies, investment advisers, other investment companies, and broker-dealers. The risks associated with this discontinuation and transition will be exacerbated if the work necessary to effect an orderly transition to an alternative reference rate is not completed in a timely manner. For example, current information technology systems may be able to accommodate new instruments and rates with features that differ from LIBOR. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the full impact of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products, instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. As a result, the Fund, when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold, or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity
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and the price of the Fund's investments. Certain types of investments, such as structured notes and non-investment grade debt instruments, as an example, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Floating rate loans also generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale and may trade infrequently on the secondary market. The value of the loan to the Fund may be impaired in the event that the Fund needs to liquidate such loans. The inability to purchase or sell floating rate loans and other debt instruments at a fair price may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in Fund redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market.
Governments and their regulatory agencies and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund or the Investment Manager or any Fund subadviser, as the case may be, are regulated or supervised. Such legislation or regulation could affect or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Governments and their regulatory agencies and self-regulatory organizations may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Funds to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Funds.
While the Investment Manager and any subadvisers can endeavor to take various preventative measures to address liquidity risk, including conducting periodic portfolio risk analysis/management and stress-testing, such measures may not be successful and may not have fully accounted for the specific circumstances that ultimately impact a Fund and its holdings.
Listed Private Equity Fund Investment Risk. Private equity funds include financial institutions or vehicles whose principal business is to invest in and lend capital to privately held companies. The Fund is subject to the underlying risks that affect private equity funds in which it invests, which may include increased liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), pricing risk (the risk that the investment may be difficult to value), sector risk (the risk that a significant portion of Fund assets invested in one or more economic sectors may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Limited or incomplete information about the companies in which private equity funds invest, and relatively concentrated investment portfolios of private equity funds, may expose the Fund to greater volatility and risk of loss. Fund investment in private equity funds subjects Fund shareholders indirectly to the fees and expenses incurred by private equity funds.
Loan Assignment/Loan Participation Risk. If a bank loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a bank loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, and the Fund may not benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). This exposes the Fund to the risk that the receipt of principal and interest payments may be late due to delayed interest settlement. Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
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Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets, although many covenants may be waived or modified with the consent of a certain percentage of the holders of the loans even if the Fund does not consent. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, including the Fund. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders. The remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. From time to time, disagreements may arise amongst the holders of loans and debt in the capital structure of an issuer, which may give rise to litigation risks, including the risk that a court could take action adverse to the holders of the loan, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund will usually succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and the Fund normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund would also be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund’s pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may also be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank’s financial condition.
Macro Strategy Risk. The profitability of any macro program depends primarily on the ability of its manager to predict derivative contract price movements to implement investment ideas regarding macroeconomic trends. Price movements for commodity interests are influenced by, among other things: changes in interest rates; governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; weather and climate conditions; natural disasters, such as hurricanes; changing supply and demand relationships; changes in balances of payments and trade; U.S. and international rates of inflation and deflation; currency devaluations and revaluations; U.S. and international political and economic events; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. The manager’s trading methods may not take all of these factors into account.
The global macro programs to which the Fund’s investments are exposed typically use derivative financial instruments that are actively traded using a variety of strategies and investment techniques that involve significant risks. The derivative financial instruments traded include commodities, currencies, futures, options and forward contracts and other derivative instruments that have inherent leverage and price volatility that result in greater risk than instruments used by typical mutual funds, and the systematic programs used to trade them may rely on proprietary investment strategies that are not fully disclosed, which may in turn result in risks that are not anticipated.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund, including causing difficulty in assigning prices to hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets, significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions. In addition, as the share of assets invested in passive index-based strategies increases, price correlations among the securities included in an index may increase and the market value of securities, including those included in one or more market
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indices, may become less correlated with their underlying values. Because index-based strategies generally buy or sell securities based solely on their inclusion in an index, securities prices may rise or fall based on whether money is flowing into or out of these strategies rather than based on an analysis of the securities’ underlying values. This valuation disparity could lead to increased price volatility for individual securities, and the market as a whole, which may result in Fund losses.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis has become a pandemic that has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in emerging market countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of these units have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. These units may be subject to cash flow and dilution risks. There are also certain tax risks associated with such an investment. In particular, the Fund’s investment in master limited partnerships can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments. In addition, there are risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. If the liquidity of a money market fund’s portfolio deteriorates below certain levels, the money market fund may suspend redemptions (i.e., impose a redemption gate) and thereby prevent the Fund from selling its investment in the money market fund or impose a fee of up to 2% on amounts the Fund redeems from the money market fund (i.e., impose a liquidity fee). These measures may result in an investment loss or prohibit the Fund from redeeming shares when the Investment Manager would otherwise redeem shares. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. To the extent these fees and expenses, along with the fees and expenses of any other funds in which the Fund may invest, are expected to equal or exceed 0.01% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, they will be reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses set forth in the table under “Fees and Expenses of the Fund.” By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Because a decision to impose or not impose such liquidity fees and/or redemption gates on an affiliated money market fund may negatively impact any Funds that invest in it, all to which the Investment Manager and Board may also owe a fiduciary duty, any recommendation by the Investment Manager or decision by the Board with respect to such fees or gates on the affiliated money market fund may present conflicts of interest to the Investment Manager and the Board. The Board of the affiliated money market fund, for example, could be conflicted by a determination to not impose such fees and/or gates at a time when, if implemented, the other Columbia Funds could potentially experience negative impacts, while not imposing such fees and/or gates could potentially result in a negative impact to the affiliated money market fund. Any decisions by the Board to favor such fees and/or gates could result in reduced or limited investments in the affiliated money market fund by the other Columbia Funds, which may lead to increased affiliated money market fund expenses (which would be borne by the remaining Fund investors).
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If a liquidity fee or redemption gate is imposed, an investing Columbia Fund may have to sell other investments at less than opportune times rather than using the cash invested in the money market fund to meet shareholder redemptions. The Investment Manager, as a result of any such fees and/or gates on an affiliated money market fund (or the potential imposition thereof, recognizing that the Investment Manager will be aware of the affiliated money market fund’s liquid assets position), may determine to not invest the other Columbia Funds’ assets in the affiliated money market fund, and potentially be forced to invest in more expensive, lower-performing investments.
Money Market Fund Risk. Although government money market funds (such as VP – Government Money Market Fund) may seek to preserve the value of shareholders’ investment at $1.00 per share, the NAVs of such money market fund shares can fall, and in infrequent cases in the past have fallen, below $1.00 per share, potentially causing shareholders who redeem their shares at such NAVs to lose money from their original investment.
At times of (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or a few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) insufficient levels of cash in the Fund's portfolio to satisfy redemption activity, and (iii) disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in order to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. Sales of portfolio securities at such times could result in losses to the Fund and cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. Additionally, in some cases, the default of a single portfolio security could cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In addition, neither the Investment Manager nor any of its affiliates has a legal obligation to provide financial support to the Fund, and you should not expect that they or any person will provide financial support to the Fund at any time. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
It is possible that, during periods of low prevailing interest rates or otherwise, the income from portfolio securities may be less than the amount needed to pay ongoing Fund operating expenses and may prevent payment of any dividends or distributions to Fund shareholders or cause the NAV of Fund shares to fall below $1.00 per share. In such cases, the Fund may reduce or eliminate the payment of such dividends or distributions or seek to reduce certain of its operating expenses. There is no guarantee that such actions would enable the Fund to maintain a constant NAV of $1.00 per share.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer.
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Multi-Strategy Risk. The multi-strategy approach employed by the Fund involves special risks, which include the risk that investment decisions, at the Fund or the underlying fund level, may conflict with each other; for example, at any particular time, one manager may be purchasing shares of an issuer whose shares are being sold by another manager. Consequently, the Fund could indirectly incur transaction costs without accomplishing any net investment result. Also, managers may use proprietary or licensed investment strategies that are based on considerations and factors that are not fully disclosed to the Fund or other investors.
Moreover, consistent with the Fund’s investment objectives, these proprietary or licensed investment strategies, which may include quantitative mathematical models or systems, may be changed or refined over time. A manager (or the licensor of the strategies used by the manager) may make certain changes to the strategies the manager has previously used, may not use such strategies at all (or the manager’s license may be revoked), or may use additional strategies, where such changes or discretionary decisions, and the reasons for such changes or decisions, are also not disclosed to the Fund or other investors. These strategies may involve risks under some market conditions that are not anticipated by the Investment Manager or the Fund.
Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility, and include obligations of the governments of the U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions such as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the extent such obligations are exempt from state and U.S. federal income taxes. The value of municipal securities can be significantly affected by actual or expected political and legislative changes at the federal or state level. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer's taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government's power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. The amount of publicly available information for municipal issuers is generally less than for corporate issuers.
Issuers in a state, territory, commonwealth or possession in which the Fund invests may experience significant financial difficulties for various reasons, including as the result of events that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled such as social conflict or unrest, labor disruption and natural disasters. Such financial difficulties may lead to credit rating downgrade(s) of such issuers which, in turn, could affect the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of issuers in such state, territory, commonwealth or possession. The value of the Fund’s shares will be negatively impacted to the extent it invests in such securities. Securities issued by Puerto Rico and its agencies and instrumentalities have been subject to multiple credit downgrades as a result of Puerto Rico's ongoing fiscal challenges and uncertainty about its ability to make full repayment on these obligations. These challenges and uncertainties have been exacerbated by hurricane Maria and the resulting natural disaster in Puerto Rico. Additionally, recent statements by government officials regarding management of the recovery burden may increase price volatility and the risk that Puerto Rican municipal securities held by the Fund will lose value. Even prior to the recent natural disaster, certain issuers of Puerto Rican municipal securities had failed to make payments on obligations when due, and additional missed payments or defaults are likely to occur in the future. In May 2017, Puerto Rico filed in U.S. federal court to commence a debt restructuring process similar to that of a traditional municipal bankruptcy under a new federal law for insolvent U.S. territories, called Promesa. However, Puerto Rico's case will be the first ever heard under Promesa for which there is no existing body of court precedent. Accordingly, Puerto Rico's debt restructuring process could take significantly longer than recent municipal bankruptcy proceedings adjudicated pursuant to Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. It is not clear whether a debt restructuring process will ultimately be approved or, if so, the extent to which it will apply to Puerto Rico municipal securities sold by an issuer other than the Commonwealth. A debt restructuring could reduce the principal amount due, the interest rate, the maturity and other terms of Puerto Rico municipal securities, which could adversely affect the value of Puerto Rico municipal securities. To the extent a Fund invests in these securities, such developments could adversely impact the Fund's performance. The Fund’s annual and semiannual reports show the Fund’s investment exposures at a point in time. The risk of investing in the Fund is directly correlated to the Fund’s investment exposures.
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Opportunistic Investing Risk. Undervalued securities involve the risk that they may never reach their expected full market value, either because the market fails to recognize the security's intrinsic worth or the expected value was misgauged. Undervalued securities also may decline in price even though the Investment Manager believes they are already undervalued. Turnaround companies may never improve their fundamentals, may take much longer than expected to improve, or may improve much less than expected. Development stage companies could fail to develop and deplete their assets, resulting in large percentage losses.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. In the case of mortgage- or other asset-backed securities, as interest rates decrease or spreads narrow, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a mortgage- or other asset-backed security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Qualified Financial Contracts Risk. Qualified financial contracts include agreements relating to swaps, currency forwards and other derivatives as well as repurchase agreements and securities lending agreements. Beginning in 2019, regulations adopted by prudential regulators will require certain qualified financial contracts entered into with certain counterparties that are part of a U.S. or foreign banking organization designated as a global-systemically important banking organization to include contractual provisions that delay or restrict the rights of counterparties, such as the Funds, to exercise certain close-out, cross-default and similar rights under certain conditions. Qualified financial contracts are subject to a stay for a specified time period during which counterparties, such as the Funds, will be prevented from closing out a qualified financial contract if the counterparty is subject to resolution proceedings and prohibit the Funds from exercising default rights due to a receivership or similar proceeding of an affiliate of the counterparty. Implementation of these requirements may increase credit and other risks to the Funds.
Quantitative Model Risk. Quantitative models used by the Fund may not effectively identify purchases and sales of Fund investments and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which a quantitative model is based. The success of a quantitative model will depend upon the model’s accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the models, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in the models, could adversely affect Fund performance. Quantitative model performance depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. Effective execution may depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs used by the quantitative model. Discretion may be used by the portfolio management team when determining the data collected and incorporated into a quantitative model. Shareholders should be aware that there is no guarantee that any specific data or type of data can or will be used in a quantitative model. The portfolio management team may also use discretion when interpreting and applying the results of a quantitative model, including emphasizing, discounting or disregarding its outputs. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by
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borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Redemption Risk. The Fund may need to sell portfolio securities to meet redemption requests. The Fund could experience a loss when selling portfolio securities to meet redemption requests if there is (i) significant redemption activity by shareholders, including, for example, when a single investor or few large investors make a significant redemption of Fund shares, (ii) a disruption in the normal operation of the markets in which the Fund buys and sells portfolio securities or (iii) the inability of the Fund to sell portfolio securities because such securities are illiquid. In such events, the Fund could be forced to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund may suspend redemptions or the payment of redemption proceeds when permitted by applicable regulations.
Regulatory Risk — Alternative Investments. Legal, tax, and regulatory developments may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The regulatory environment for the Fund and certain of its investments is evolving, and changes in the regulation of investment funds, their managers, and their trading activities and capital markets, or a regulator’s disagreement with the Fund’s or others’ interpretation of the application of certain regulations, may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy, its ability to obtain leverage and financing, and the value of investments held by the Fund. There has been an increase in governmental, as well as self-regulatory, scrutiny of the investment industry in general and the alternative investment industry in particular. It is impossible to predict what, if any, changes in regulations may occur, but any regulation that restricts the ability of the Fund or any underlying funds or other investments to trade in securities or other instruments or the ability of the Fund or underlying funds to employ, or brokers and other counterparties to extend, credit in their trading (as well as other regulatory changes that result) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.
Shareholders should understand that the Fund’s business is dynamic and is expected to change over time. Therefore, the Fund and its underlying investments may be subject to new or additional regulatory constraints in the future. Such regulations may have a significant impact on shareholders or the operations of the Fund, including, without limitation, restricting the types of investments the Fund may make, preventing the Fund from exercising its voting rights with regard to certain financial instruments, requiring the Fund to disclose the identity of its investors or otherwise. To the extent the Fund or its underlying investments are subject to such regulation, such regulations may have a detrimental effect on one or more shareholders. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult their own advisors regarding an investment in the Fund.
Regulatory Risk — Money Market Funds. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity
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risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly the Fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
Sector Risk — Consumer Discretionary/Staples Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the consumer discretionary and staples sectors, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary and staples sectors are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, interest rate changes, currency exchange rates, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes. Companies in these sectors may be subject to competitive forces (including competition brought by an influx of foreign brands), which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability. These sectors may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns, changes in demographics and consumer preferences, and other economic or social factors affecting consumer demand. Governmental regulation, including price controls and regulations on packaging, labeling, competition, and certification, may affect the profitability of certain companies invested in by the Fund. Companies operating in these sectors may also be adversely affected by government and private litigation.
Sector Risk — Energy Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the energy sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international politics, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions.
Sector Risk — Financial Services Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the financial services sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Sector Risk — Health Care Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the health care sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a
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relatively limited number of products or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
Sector Risk — Industrials Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the industrials sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events and economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Sector Risk — Information Technology Sector Investment Risk. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the information technology sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term.
Sector Risk — Materials Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the materials sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in the materials sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the materials sector are subject to certain risks, including that many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, environmental policies, consumer demand, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the materials sector. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, that at times worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international politics, and adverse market conditions. In addition, prices of, and thus the Fund’s investments in, precious metals are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide and economic, financial and political factors. Prices of precious metals may fluctuate sharply.
Sector Risk — Utilities Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the energy sector, it may be more susceptible to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector than if it were invested in a wider variety of companies in unrelated sectors. Companies in the utilities sector are subject to certain risks, including risks associated with government regulation, interest rate changes, financing difficulties, supply and demand for services or products, intense competition, natural resource conservation and commodity price fluctuations.
Short Positions Risk. A Fund that establishes short positions introduces more risk to the Fund than a fund that only takes long positions (where the Fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset.
Sovereign Debt Risk. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject.
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With respect to sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debtholders. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Initial public offerings are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in initial public offerings, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an initial public offering are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in initial public offerings may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities. For example, stripped mortgage-backed securities have greater interest rate risk than mortgage-backed securities with like maturities, and stripped treasury securities have greater interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) than traditional government securities with identical credit ratings.
Terrorism, War, Natural Disaster and Epidemic Risk. Terrorism, war, military confrontations and related geopolitical events (and their aftermath) have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Likewise, natural and environmental disasters, such as, for example, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and weather-related phenomena generally, as well as widespread disease and virus outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely affecting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Funds’ investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. These disruptions could prevent the Funds from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Funds’ ability to achieve their investment objectives. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Funds.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund (or an underlying fund or other investment vehicle) could receive for any particular investment may differ from the Fund’s (or an underlying fund’s or other investment vehicle’s) valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology that produces an estimate of the fair value of the security/instrument, which may prove to be inaccurate. Investors who purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding securities or other instruments (or holding shares of underlying funds or other investment vehicles that have fair-valued securities or other instruments in their portfolios) may receive fewer or more shares or lower or higher redemption proceeds than they would have received if the Fund (or underlying fund or other investment vehicle) had not fair-valued the security or instrument or had used a different valuation methodology. The value of foreign securities, certain fixed-income securities and currencies, as applicable, may be materially affected by events after the close of the market on which they are valued, but before the Fund determines its NAV.
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Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants may be acquired separately or in connection with the acquisition of securities. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and subject the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Rights are typically short-term instruments that are valued separately and trade in the secondary market during a subscription (or offering) period. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
When-Issued, Delayed Settlement and Forward Commitment Transactions, Including U.S. Treasury Floating Rate Notes Risk. When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. A Fund does not earn interest on such securities until settlement and bears the risk of market value fluctuations in between the purchase and settlement dates. Such transactions include floating rate obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Securities with floating or variable interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with fixed interest rates, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline. A decline in interest rates may result in a reduction in income received from floating rate securities held by the Fund and may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s shares. Generally, floating rate securities carry lower yields than fixed notes of the same maturity. The interest rate for a floating rate note resets or adjusts periodically by reference to a benchmark interest rate. The impact of interest rate changes on floating rate investments is typically mitigated by the periodic interest rate reset of the investments. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes, usually making them more volatile than securities with shorter durations. The supply of floating rate notes issued by the U.S. Treasury will be limited. There is no guarantee or assurance that: the Fund will be able to invest in a desired amount of floating rate notes or be able to buy floating rate notes at a desirable price; floating rate notes will continue to be issued by the U.S. Treasury; or floating rate notes will be actively traded. Any or all of the foregoing, should they occur, would negatively impact the Fund.
Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk. Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and affects the amounts distributed to its shareholders, which may cause the Fund to sell investments to obtain cash to make income distributions to shareholders, including at times when it may not be advantageous to do so.
Certain of the risks described above in this SAI may also apply, directly or indirectly, to the Investment Manager and any investment subadviser and their affiliates, which may negatively impact their respective abilities to provide services to the Funds, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund or other consequences.
Borrowings
In general, pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund may borrow money only from banks in an amount not exceeding 33 13% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount must be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 13% limitation.
The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has entered into a revolving credit facility agreement (the Credit Agreement) with a syndicate of banks led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Citibank N.A. and HSBC Bank USA, N.A. whereby the Funds may borrow for the temporary funding of shareholder redemptions or for other temporary or emergency purposes. Pursuant to a December 8, 2015 amendment, the Credit Agreement, which is a collective agreement between the Funds and certain other funds managed by the Investment Manager (collectively, the Participating Funds), severally and not jointly, permits the Participating Funds to borrow up to an aggregate commitment amount of $1 billion (the Commitment Limit) at any time outstanding, subject to asset coverage and other limitations as specified in the Credit Agreement. A Fund may borrow up to the maximum amount allowable under its current Prospectus and this SAI, subject to various other legal, regulatory or contractual limits. Borrowing results in interest expense and other fees and expenses for a Fund that may impact that Fund’s expenses, including any net expense ratios. The costs of borrowing may reduce a Fund's return. If a Fund borrows pursuant to the Credit Agreement, that Fund is charged
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interest at a variable rate. The Fund also pays a commitment fee equal to its pro rata share of the amount of the credit facility. The availability of assets under the Credit Agreement can be affected by other Participating Funds’ borrowings under the agreement. As such, a Fund may be unable to borrow (or borrow further) under the Credit Agreement if the Commitment Limit has been reached.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
To generate additional income, a Fund may lend up to 33%, or such lower percentage specified by the Fund or Investment Manager, of the value of its total assets (including securities out on loan) to broker-dealers, banks or other institutional borrowers of securities. JPMorgan serves as lending agent (the Lending Agent) to the Funds pursuant to a securities lending agreement (the Securities Lending Agreement) approved by the Board. Under the Securities Lending Agreement, the Lending Agent loans Fund securities to approved borrowers pursuant to borrower agreements in exchange for collateral at least equal in value to the loaned securities, marked to market daily. Collateral may consist of cash, securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities (collectively, “U.S. Government securities”) or such other collateral as may be approved by the Board. For loans secured by cash, the Fund retains the interest earned on cash collateral, but the Fund is required to pay the borrower a rebate for the use of the cash collateral. For loans secured by U.S. Government securities, the borrower pays a borrower fee to the Lending Agent on behalf of the Fund.
If the market value of the loaned securities goes up, the Fund will require additional collateral from the borrower. If the market value of the loaned securities goes down, the borrower may request that some collateral be returned. During the existence of the loan, the Fund will receive from the borrower amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, as well as interest on such amounts.
Loans are subject to termination by a Fund or a borrower at any time. A Fund may choose to terminate a loan in order to vote in a proxy solicitation, as described in this SAI under Investment Management and Other Services – Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures – General.
Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that a borrower may not provide sufficient or any collateral when required or may not return the loaned securities, timely or at all. Counterparty risk also includes a potential loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the Lending Agent defaults or fails financially. This risk is increased if a Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single borrower or limited number of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers a Fund may use and a Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. Funds participating in securities lending also bear the risk of loss in connection with investments of cash collateral received from the borrowers. Cash collateral may only be invested in short-term, highly liquid obligations, and in accordance with investment guidelines contained in the Securities Lending Agreement and approved by the Board. Some or all of the cash collateral received in connection with the securities lending program may be invested in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds managed by the Lending Agent (or its affiliates). The Lending Agent shares in any income resulting from the investment of such cash collateral, and an affiliate of the Lending Agent may receive asset-based fees for the management of such pooled investment vehicles, which may create a conflict of interest between the Lending Agent (or its affiliates) and the Fund with respect to the management of such cash collateral. To the extent that the value or return of a Fund’s investments of the cash collateral declines below the amount owed to a borrower, a Fund may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security. The Lending Agent will indemnify a fund from losses resulting from a borrower’s failure to return a loaned security when due, but such indemnification does not extend to losses associated with declines in the value of cash collateral investments. The Investment Manager is not responsible for any loss incurred by the Funds in connection with the securities lending program.
The Funds currently do not participate in the securities lending program, but the Board may determine to renew participation in the future.
Interfund Lending
Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the SEC (the “Lending Order”), the Funds entered into a master interfund lending agreement (the “Interfund Program”) with each other and certain other funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. For purposes of this subsection only, the term “Participating Fund” includes the Funds and any other fund advised by the Investment Manager that is subject to the Lending Order. Under the Interfund Program, each Participating Fund may lend money directly to and, other than closed-end funds and money market funds (including VP – Government Money Market Fund), borrow money directly from other Participating Funds for temporary purposes through the Interfund Program (each an “Interfund Loan”). Participating Funds issuing Interfund Loans are referred to below as “Borrowing Funds,” and Participating Funds acquiring Interfund Loans are referred to below as “Lending Funds.” All Interfund Loans would consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the Lending Fund otherwise could invest directly or indirectly in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments.
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If a Participating Fund has outstanding bank borrowings, any Interfund Loan to the Participating Fund will: (i) be at an interest rate equal to or lower than the interest rate of any outstanding bank loan; (ii) be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral; (iii) have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not longer than seven days); and (iv) provide that, if an event of default occurs under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the Participating Fund, that event of default will automatically (without need for action or notice by the Lending Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the interfund lending agreement, entitling the Lending Fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral), and that such call will be made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the Borrowing Fund.
A Participating Fund may make an unsecured borrowing under the Interfund Program if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the borrowing under the Interfund Program are equal to or less than 10% of its total assets, provided that if the Participating Fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Participating Fund, the Participating Fund’s borrowing under the Interfund Program will be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral. If a Participating Fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after borrowing under the Interfund Program exceed 10% of its total assets, the Participating Fund may borrow under the Interfund Program on a secured basis only. A Participating Fund may not borrow under the Interfund Program or from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the borrowing would be more than 33 1/3% of its total assets or any lower threshold provided for by a Participating Fund’s fundamental restriction or non-fundamental policy.
No Participating Fund may lend to another Participating Fund through the Interfund Program if the loan would cause the Lending Fund’s aggregate outstanding loans under the Interfund Program to exceed 15% of its current net assets at the time of the loan. A Participating Fund’s Interfund Loans to any one Participating Fund may not exceed 5% of the Lending Fund’s net assets at the time of the loan. The duration of Interfund Loans will be limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event more than seven days. Interfund Loans effected within seven days of each other will be treated as separate loan transactions for purposes of this limitation. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a Lending Fund and may be repaid on any day by a Borrowing Fund.
The limitations described above and the other conditions of the Lending Order are designed to minimize the risks associated with Interfund Lending for both the Lending Fund and the Borrowing Fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. When a Participating Fund borrows money from another Participating Fund under the Interfund Program, there is a risk that the Interfund Loan could be called on one day’s notice, in which case the Borrowing Fund may have to borrow from a bank at higher rates if an Interfund Loan is not available from another Participating Fund. Interfund Loans are subject to the risk that the Borrowing Fund could be unable to repay the loan when due, and a delay in repayment to a Lending Fund could result in a lost opportunity or additional lending costs for the Lending Fund. No Participating Fund may borrow more than the amount permitted by its investment restrictions. Because the Investment Manager provides investment management services to both the Lending Fund and the Borrowing Fund, the Investment Manager may have a potential conflict of interest in determining that an Interfund Loan is comparable in credit quality to other high quality money market instruments. The Participating Funds have adopted policies and procedures that are designed to manage potential conflicts of interest, but the administration of the Interfund Program may be subject to such conflicts.
As noted above, VP – Government Money Market Fund may only participate in the Interfund Program as a Lending Fund.
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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES
The Investment Manager and Subadvisers
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, is the investment manager of the Funds as well as for other funds in the Columbia Funds Complex. The Investment Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, which is located at 1099 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474. Ameriprise Financial is a holding company, which primarily conducts business through its subsidiaries to provide financial planning, products and services that are designed to be utilized as solutions for clients’ cash and liquidity, asset accumulation, income, protection and estate and wealth transfer needs.
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates (Affiliates or Participating Affiliates) around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. Such coordination may include functional leadership of the business (the “global” business). From time to time, the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Funds, as the case may be) may engage its Affiliates or Participating Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Funds. These Affiliates or Participating Affiliates will provide services to these accounts of the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Funds, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Funds will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Affiliates or Participating Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions and, where required, the SEC and the CFTC in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of these Affiliates or Participating Affiliates may serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in the Funds' prospectuses and this SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds’ compliance policies and procedures, may provide such services to the Funds.
As a manager of global equities, fixed income and real estate assets, Columbia Management seeks to provide its investment professionals, including Fund portfolio managers, with access to various internal tools and resources that they may use to enhance or supplement their investment processes, including access to Columbia Management’s proprietary Responsible Investing Research capability, Fundamental Research capability, and Quantitative Equity Research capability, each as further described below.
Columbia Management’s Responsible Investing Research Capability
Columbia Management maintains an internal central Responsible Investment (RI) research function. Columbia Management became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in October 2014. The PRI initiative is based on six principles that address the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment decision-making and stewardship practices. As a PRI signatory, Columbia Management has made a commitment by investing in the resources, enhanced analytics and data to supplement its standard fundamental and quantitative tools to help its investment teams expand their investment mosaic to potentially consider and integrate extra-financial ESG factors that seek to identify material associated risks and opportunities that may bear on the long-term value creation and sustainability of a company. While Columbia Management follows the PRI principles, becoming a PRI signatory does not require the application of specific RI factors in Columbia Management’s investment process, and Columbia Management may take actions inconsistent with the PRI if in its judgment it is in the best interests of its clients to do so.
While Columbia Management believes that evaluating RI research and analysis enables portfolio managers to make better informed investment decisions, each portfolio management team within Columbia Management makes its own investment decisions and certain teams may place more, less or no emphasis on ESG factors in any given investment decision. Columbia Management believes in being an active and responsible steward of the capital entrusted to it by our clients. Consistent with this philosophy and the duty to act in the best interests of our clients, our publicly available Stewardship Principles form an important part of our investment framework and guidelines. These Principles outline the governance of Columbia Management’s stewardship activities as they apply across asset classes, as well as specifying Columbia Management’s approach to monitoring the companies in which it invests and the role within stewardship of engagement and proxy voting.
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Columbia Management’s Equity and Fixed Income Fundamental Research Capability
Columbia Management and its advisory affiliates maintain an internal central research function for both equity and fixed income. Investment analysts who are responsible for central research provide their views on specific issuers and securities internally for general consumption by other analysts and portfolio managers, as well as to investment personnel of certain of our advisory affiliates. Fund portfolio managers may, by way of example, seek to leverage the central fundamental research for sector expertise. Equity analysts that are tied to specific portfolio management teams or strategies generally do not provide their research internally in this manner but may share their investment views with investment personnel (including personnel at certain of our advisory affiliates) via email or other form of communication. In addition, certain of our research analysts have portfolio management responsibilities that may create potential conflicts of interest with respect to the allocation of investment research. We have adopted policies and related controls to manage these conflicts.
Columbia Management’s Quantitative Equity Research Capability
Columbia Management’s quantitative research team applies fundamental investment concepts within a quantitative and systematic framework to create robust sector- and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models across three broad categories, including valuation (such as cash flow yield), catalyst (such as price momentum) and quality (such as earnings quality) models, to rank the securities within a sector/industry. A company’s rating is scaled from 1 (most attractive) to 5 (least attractive) based on the relative ranking of its overall score from its multi-factor model. The ranking results are another available resource internally for general consumption by other analysts and Fund portfolio managers, as well as to investment personnel of certain of our advisory affiliates. Fund portfolio managers may, by way of example, seek to leverage this information for the Funds they manage.
Services Provided
Each Fund has entered into the Management Agreement with the Investment Manager, effective as of May 1, 2016 (the Management Agreement Effective Date). Under the Management Agreement, the Investment Manager has contracted to, subject to general oversight by the Board, manage and supervise the day-to-day operations and business affairs of the Funds. In this role, the Investment Manager furnishes each such Fund with investment research and advice and all of the services necessary for, or appropriate to, the business and effective operation of each Fund that are not (a) provided by employees or other agents engaged by the Fund or (b) required to be provided by any person pursuant to any other agreement or arrangement with the Fund. Under the Management Agreement, any liability of the Investment Manager to the Trust, a Fund and/or its shareholders is limited to situations involving the Investment Manager’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence in the performance of its duties or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
The Management Agreement may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time on 60 days’ written notice by the Investment Manager or by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund. The Management Agreement will automatically terminate upon any assignment thereof, will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date and thereafter will continue from year to year with respect to a Fund only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Investment Manager or the Trust.
The Investment Manager pays all compensation of the Trustees and officers of the Trust who are employees of the Investment Manager or its affiliates. Except to the extent expressly assumed by the Investment Manager and except to the extent required by law to be paid or reimbursed by the Investment Manager, the Investment Manager does not have a duty to pay any Fund operating expenses incurred in the organization and operation of a Fund, including, but not limited to, auditing, legal, custodial, investor servicing and shareholder reporting expenses. The Fund pays the cost of printing and mailing Fund prospectuses to shareholders.
The Investment Manager, at its own expense, provides office space, facilities and supplies, equipment and personnel for the performance of its functions under each Fund’s Management Agreement.
Management Agreement Fee Rates
Each Fund set forth in the table below, unless otherwise noted, pays the Investment Manager an annual fee for its management services, as set forth in the Management Agreement and the table below, as of the Management Agreement Effective Date. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of each Fund and is paid monthly. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may from time to time waive fees and/or reimburse certain Fund expenses. See the Funds’ prospectuses for more information.
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Management Agreement Fee Schedule
Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund(a) $0-$500 0.500%
  >$500-$1,000 0.495%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.480%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.460%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.445%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.430%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.415%
  >$9,000-$12,000 0.410%
  >$12,000-$20,000 0.390%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.380%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.360%
  >$50,000 0.340%
VP – Balanced Fund $0-$500 0.720%
  >$500-$1,000 0.670%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.620%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.570%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.550%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.530%
  >$12,000 0.520%
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund $0-$500 0.510%
  >$500-$1,000 0.505%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.475%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.450%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.415%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.390%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.375%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.370%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.360%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.350%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.340%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.330%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.310%
  >$50,000 0.290%
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund $0-$500 0.750%
  >$500-$1,000 0.745%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.720%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.670%
  >$3,000 0.660%
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund(b) $0-$500 0.630%
  >$500-$1,000 0.580%
  >$1,000-$3,000 0.550%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.520%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.500%
  >$12,000 0.490%
VP – Core Equity Fund All 0.400%
VP – Disciplined Core Fund
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund
$0-$500 0.770%
>$500-$1,000 0.715%
  >$1,000-$3,000 0.615%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.600%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.580%
  >$12,000 0.570%
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund $0-$500 0.720%
  >$500-$1,000 0.670%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.620%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.570%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.550%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.530%
  >$12,000 0.520%
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 88

 

Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund $0-$500 0.600%
  >$500-$1,000 0.590%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.575%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.555%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.530%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.505%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.490%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.481%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.469%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.459%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.449%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.433%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.414%
  >$50,000 0.393%
VP – Emerging Markets Fund(c) $0-$500 1.100%
  >$500-$1,000 1.060%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.870%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.820%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.770%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.720%
  >$12,000 0.700%
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund $0-$500 0.650%
  >$500-$1,000 0.645%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.595%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.590%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.575%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.570%
  >$7,500-$12,000 0.560%
  >$12,000-$20,000 0.540%
  >$20,000-$50,000 0.530%
  >$50,000 0.520%
VP – Government Money Market Fund $0-$500 0.390%
  >$500-$1,000 0.385%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.363%
  >$1,500-$2,000 0.345%
  >$2,000-$2,500 0.328%
  >$2,500-$3,000 0.310%
  >$3,000-$5,000 0.300%
  >$5,000-$6,000 0.280%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.260%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.255%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.230%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.220%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.210%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.200%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.190%
  >$24,000 0.180%
VP – High Yield Bond Fund
VP – Income Opportunities Fund
$0-$250 0.660%
>$250-$500 0.645%
  >$500-$750 0.635%
  >$750-$1,000 0.625%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.610%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.600%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.565%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.540%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.525%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.500%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.485%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.475%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.465%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.440%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.425%
  >$50,000 0.400%
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 89

 

Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund $0-$500 0.500%
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund >$500-$1,000 0.495%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.480%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.460%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.450%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.430%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.415%
  >$9,000-$12,000 0.410%
  >$12,000-$20,000 0.390%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.380%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.360%
  >$50,000 0.340%
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund $0-$500 0.770%
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund >$500-$1,000 0.720%
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund >$1,000-$1,500 0.670%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.620%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.600%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.580%
  >$12,000 0.570%
VP – Large Cap Index Fund All 0.200%
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund $0-$500 0.480%
  >$500-$1,000 0.475%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.465%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.460%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.445%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.430%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.415%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.410%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.400%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.390%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.380%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.370%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.350%
  >$50,000 0.330%
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund $0-$500 0.710%
VP – MFS Value Fund >$500-$1,000 0.705%
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund >$1,000-$2,000 0.650%
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund >$2,000-$3,000 0.550%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.540%
  >$12,000 0.530%
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund $0-$500 0.820%
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund >$500-$1,000 0.770%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.720%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.670%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.660%
  >$12,000 0.650%
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund $0-$500 0.710%
  >$500-$1,000 0.705%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.650%
  >$1,500-$2,000 0.600%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.550%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.540%
  >$12,000 0.530%
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 90

 

Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – Overseas Core Fund $0-$250 0.880%
  >$250-$500 0.855%
  >$500-$750 0.825%
  >$750-$1,000 0.800%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.770%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.720%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.700%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.680%
  >$12,000-$20,000 0.670%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.660%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.650%
  >$50,000 0.620%
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund(d) $0-$500 0.500%
  >$500-$1,000 0.495%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.480%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.460%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.445%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.430%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.415%
  >$9,000-$12,000 0.410%
  >$12,000-$20,000 0.390%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.380%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.360%
  >$50,000 0.340%
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund (e) $0-$500 0.870%
VP – Partners International Value Fund >$500-$1,000 0.820%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.770%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.720%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.700%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.680%
  >$12,000 0.670%
VP – Partners International Growth Fund (f) $0-$500 0.920%
  >$500-$1,000 0.870%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.820%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.770%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.760%
  >$12,000 0.750%
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund $0-$500 0.770%
  >$500-$1,000 0.720%
  >$1,000-$1,500 0.670%
  >$1,500-$3,000 0.620%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.600%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.580%
  >$12,000 0.570%
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund $0-$500 0.870%
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund >$500-$1,000 0.820%
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund >$1,000-$3,000 0.770%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.760%
  >$12,000 0.750%
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund(c) $0-$500 0.915%
  >$500-$1,000 0.910%
  >$1,000-$3,000 0.905%
  >$3,000-$4,000 0.865%
  >$4,000-$6,000 0.815%
  >$6,000-$12,000 0.765%
  >$12,000 0.755%
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 91

 

Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund $0-$500 0.430%
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund >$500-$1,000 0.425%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.415%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.410%
  >$3,000-$6,000 0.395%
  >$6,000-$7,500 0.380%
  >$7,500-$9,000 0.365%
  >$9,000-$10,000 0.360%
  >$10,000-$12,000 0.350%
  >$12,000-$15,000 0.340%
  >$15,000-$20,000 0.330%
  >$20,000-$24,000 0.320%
  >$24,000-$50,000 0.300%
  >$50,000 0.280%
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund $0-$500 0.810%
  >$500-$1,000 0.805%
  >$1,000-$2,000 0.750%
  >$2,000-$3,000 0.700%
  >$3,000-$12,000 0.690%
  >$12,000 0.680%
(a) Effective October 1, 2017, the management fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
(b) When calculating asset levels for purposes of determining fee breakpoints, asset levels are based on net assets of the Fund, including assets invested in any wholly-owned subsidiary advised by the Investment Manager (“Subsidiaries”). Fees payable by the Fund under this agreement shall be reduced by any management services fees paid to the Investment Manager by any Subsidiaries under separate management agreements with the Subsidiaries.
(c) Effective July 1, 2017, the management fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
(d) Effective May 1, 2017, the management fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
(e) Effective May 1, 2018, the management fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
(f) Effective July 1, 2018, the management fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for certain asset levels.
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund and the VP – Portfolio Navigator Funds. The Investment Manager has implemented a schedule for the management services fees for VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund and the VP – Portfolio Navigator Funds, whereby the Fund pays (i) 0.020% management services fee on its net assets that are invested in affiliated underlying funds (including ETFs and closed-end funds) that pay a management services fee (or investment advisory services fee, as applicable) to the Investment Manager; and (ii) a management services fee rate according to the following schedule on securities, instruments and other assets not described in category (i) above, including, without limitation, affiliated mutual funds, ETFs and closed-end funds that do not pay a management services fee to the Investment Manager, third party funds, derivatives and individual securities:
Fund Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level
VP – Aggressive Portfolio
VP – Conservative Portfolio
VP – Moderate Portfolio
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund
$0 - $500 0.720%
>$500 - $1,000 0.670%
>$1,000 - $1,500 0.620%
>$1,500 - $3,000 0.570%
>$3,000 - $6,000 0.550%
>$6,000 - $12,000 0.530%
>$12,000 0.520%
In no event shall the management services fee be negative even if the value of one of the categories is a negative amount. Although the fee for each category is calculated separately and there is no negative management services fee, the Investment Manager currently intends to calculate the management services fee by reducing (but not below $0) any management services fee payable on one category by any negative management services fee in another category. The Investment Manager may change this calculation methodology at any time.
Under the Management Agreement, each Fund also pays taxes, brokerage commissions and nonadvisory expenses, which include custodian fees and charges; fidelity bond premiums; certain legal fees; registration fees for shares; consultants’ fees; compensation of Board members, officers and employees not employed by the Investment Manager or its affiliates; corporate filing fees; organizational expenses; expenses incurred in connection with lending securities; interest and fee expense related to a Fund’s participation in inverse floater structures; and expenses properly payable by a Fund, approved by the Board.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 92

 

Management Services Fees Paid. The table below shows the total management services fees paid by each Fund, as applicable, under the Management Agreement for the last three fiscal periods (net of management services fee waivers). Amounts shown for the first period that management services fees were paid for each Fund are for the period from the Fund’s Management Agreement Effective Date through the applicable fiscal year end. For more information about fees waived or Fund expenses reimbursed by the Investment Manager, see Expense Limitations.
Management Services Fees
  Management Services Fees
  2019 2018 2017
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – Aggressive Portfolio $1,129,069 $1,264,264 $1,247,931
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund 10,606,832 17,078,890 19,308,233
VP – Balanced Fund 7,477,461 7,726,212 7,680,720
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 578,041 612,777 667,016
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund 3,811,958 3,316,890 3,272,698
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund 2,527,621 2,784,979 3,069,259
VP – Conservative Portfolio 563,358 566,496 572,643
VP – Core Equity Fund 768,386 833,010 794,122
VP – Disciplined Core Fund 33,524,090 34,505,935 32,503,049
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund 9,854,871 10,928,630 11,633,381
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund 1,650,275 1,291,461 1,045,448
VP – Emerging Markets Fund 4,899,467 6,650,856 8,027,715
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund 740,869 840,798 969,123
VP – Government Money Market Fund 1,549,508 1,559,441 1,286,289
VP – High Yield Bond Fund 2,287,706 2,528,890 2,890,348
VP – Income Opportunities Fund 2,261,803 2,285,519 2,447,154
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund 21,572,199 21,886,451 23,459,005
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund 13,196,923 12,978,676 11,991,456
VP – Large Cap Index Fund 2,025,360 1,504,405 1,092,855
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund 3,661,210 3,756,689 3,999,936
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 15,370,205 14,270,167 14,158,262
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 12,558,137 11,755,200 9,163,893
VP – MFS Value Fund 11,038,713 13,720,441 14,462,241
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund 4,111,647 4,079,235 3,729,665
VP – Moderate Portfolio 6,458,492 6,547,026 6,746,570
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 3,861,872 3,905,274 3,898,290
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio 1,495,232 1,485,499 1,482,918
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 14,940,238 13,425,182 10,550,546
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund 25,436,718 25,710,531 24,333,980
VP – Overseas Core Fund 9,290,306 9,486,691 8,756,694
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund 17,140,949 15,258,927 16,120,935
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund 14,475,930 13,965,602 12,970,751
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund 23,133,876 20,565,530 22,221,886
VP – Partners International Growth Fund 7,761,679 13,859,903 16,869,111
VP – Partners International Value Fund 7,210,107 13,175,262 14,355,711
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 5,404,251 6,013,848 5,430,595
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund 6,122,700 6,875,779 6,890,852
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 93

 

  Management Services Fees
  2019 2018 2017
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund $9,017,547 $4,672,522(a) N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund 9,150,135 9,610,985 $8,866,594
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund 2,462,706 2,459,771 2,352,600
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund 737,036 848,498 923,607
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund 777,781 787,475 752,900
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 13,532,956 15,460,008 15,499,079
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 13,305,463 13,647,839 14,595,542
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 4,226,983 4,277,183 4,634,190
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 4,703,484 4,589,674 4,039,577
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 8,257,971 4,440,155 4,350,639
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 4,789,091 4,633,435 3,888,510
(a) For the period from January 4, 2018 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2018.
Manager of Managers Exemption
The SEC has issued an exemptive order (the Order) that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board and conditions of the Order, to hire subadvisers, by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to materially change the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the subadvisory fees paid thereunder, without seeking approval of the Fund’s shareholders and thereby avoiding the expense and delays associated with obtaining such approval (the Manager of Managers Structure). For Funds that began operations (see About the Trust) prior to September 2017, the Order covers unaffiliated subadvisers; for Funds that have commenced operations since September 2017, the Order covers unaffiliated subadvisers and subadvisers that are indirect or direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Investment Manager or sister companies of the Investment Manager that are indirect or direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial. In addition to the Order, the Funds may rely on any other current or future laws, rules, or regulatory guidance from the SEC or its staff applicable to a Manager of Managers Structure.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers and/or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships.
Subadvisory Agreements
The assets of certain Funds are managed by subadvisers that have been selected by the Investment Manager, subject to the review and approval of the Board. Generally, the Investment Manager recommends a subadviser to the Board based upon its assessment of the skills of the subadvisers in managing other assets in accordance with objectives and investment strategies substantially similar to those of the applicable Fund. Among other responsibilities, the Investment Manager (i) monitors on a daily basis the compliance of the subadviser with the investment objectives and related policies of the Fund, (ii) assesses changes to the subadvisers' business brought to the Investment Manager’s attention by subadviser or otherwise publicly announced, (iii) performs due diligence reviews of the subadviser, (iv) monitors the performance of each subadviser with respect to a Fund, and (v) regularly provides reports on such performance to the Board. However, short-term investment performance is not the only factor in selecting or terminating a subadviser, and the Investment Manager does not expect to make frequent changes of subadvisers.
The Investment Manager allocates the assets of a Fund with multiple subadvisers among the subadvisers. Each subadviser has discretion, subject to oversight by the Board and the Investment Manager, to purchase and sell portfolio assets, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective, policies, and restrictions. Generally, the services that a subadviser provides to the Fund are limited to asset management and related recordkeeping services.
The Investment Manager has entered into a subadvisory agreement with each subadviser under which the subadviser provides investment advisory and portfolio management assistance to all or a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, as well as investment research and statistical information, subject to the oversight by the Investment Manager. A subadviser may also serve as a discretionary or non-discretionary investment adviser to management or advisory accounts that are unrelated in any manner to
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 94

 

the Investment Manager or its affiliates. The Investment Manager compensates each subadviser of a Fund out of the management services fees it receives from the Fund. This could create an incentive for the Investment Manager to select, or allocate assets to, subadvisers with lower fee rates, select subadvisers that are affiliated with the Investment Manager, or manage assets directly.
Each subadvisory agreement, and any material change thereto, is approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. Additionally, in relying on the Order (see Manager of Managers Exemption above) when recommending the hiring, termination, and replacement of subadvisers, the Investment Manager provides the Board with information showing the expected impact of any proposed subadviser hiring or termination on the profitability of the Investment Manager.
With respect to VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, BlackRock has entered into a sub-subadvisory agreement with BlackRock International Limited (BIL), an affiliate of BlackRock. BIL assists in providing day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund pursuant to the sub-subadvisory agreement. BlackRock will pay BIL for its services.
The following table shows general information about subadvisers, and, with respect to Funds with a single subadviser, the subadvisory fee schedules for fees paid by the Investment Manager to subadvisers and, with respect to Funds with multiple subadvisers, the aggregate subadvisory services fee rate paid by the Investment Manager to the subadvisers for the Fund’s most recent fiscal year as a percentage of the Fund’s daily net assets (which may differ from the Fund’s current subadvisers and/or the fee rate payable by the Investment Manager during the current fiscal year). The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the applicable Fund (or portion thereof subadvised by the applicable subadviser), subject to any exceptions as noted in the table below, and is paid monthly by the Investment Manager out of the management services fee it receives from the Fund.
Subadvisers
Subadvisory and Sub-Subadvisory Agreement Fee Schedules or Aggregate Effective Fee Rates
Fund Subadviser Parent
Company/Other
Information
Fee Schedule or Aggregate Effective Fee Rates
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund American Century
(effective May 10, 2010)
A 0.160% on the first $500 million, declining to 0.080% as assets increase(a)
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund(d) BlackRock
(effective October 19, 2012)
B 0.150% on the first $250 million, declining to 0.050% as assets increase
Sub-Subadviser: BIL
(effective May 1, 2018)
V 50% of fee paid to BlackRock
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund CenterSquare
(effective June 1, 2016)
T 0.400% on the first $200 million, declining to 0.300% as assets increase
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund Threadneedle
(effective April 30, 2013)
D 0.250% on all assets
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund Loomis Sayles
(effective March 21, 2014)
N 0.265% on the first $3 billion, declining to 0.250% as assets increase(h)
VP – Los Angeles Large Cap Growth Fund Los Angeles Capital
(effective May 1, 2017)
J 0.300% on the first $100 million, declining to 0.115% as assets increase(g)
VP – MFS Value Fund MFS
(effective May 10, 2010)
G 0.350% on the first $100 million, declining to 0.175% as assets increase(a)
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund MSIM
(effective May 2, 2016)
H 0.300% on the first $500 million, declining to 0.225% as assets increase
VP – Overseas Core Fund Threadneedle
(effective July 9, 2004)
D 0.350% on all assets
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund JPMIM
(effective May 10, 2010)

WellsCap
(effective May 1, 2017)
E


K
0.110%
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 95

 

Fund Subadviser Parent
Company/Other
Information
Fee Schedule or Aggregate Effective Fee Rates
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund Jacobs Levy
(effective May 20, 2019)

T. Rowe Price
(effective May 20, 2019)
L


I
0.198%(f)
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund AQR
(effective on or about May 21, 2018)
U 0.260% on the first $500 million, declining to 0.205% as assets increase
VP – Partners International Growth Fund William Blair
(effective May 20, 2019)
O 0.500% on the first $150 million, declining to 0.250% as assets increase
VP – Partners International Value Fund DFA
(effective November 16, 2011)
C 0.210% on all asset levels
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund BMO
(effective May 1, 2017)

Scout
(effective May 20, 2019)

WellsCap
(effective May 10, 2010)
R


W


K
0.349%
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund Jacobs Levy
(effective May 1, 2017)

Nuveen Asset Management
(effective May 1, 2017)

SBH
(effective August 20, 2014)
L


M


P
0.457%
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund T. Rowe Price
(effective November 14, 2016)
I 0.475% on the first $50 million, declining to 0.250% on all assets as asset levels increase(e)(f)
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund TCW
(effective March 21, 2014)
Q 0.180% on the first $500 million, declining to 0.050% as asset levels increase(b)
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund Victory Capital
(effective November 16, 2012)
S 0.320% on the first $400 million, declining to 0.300% as assets increase
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund WellsCap
(effective May 10, 2010)
K 0.150% on assets up to $250 million, declining to 0.120% as assets increase(c)
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund Westfield
(effective September 18, 2017)
F 0.400% on assets up to $250 million, declining to 0.300% as asset levels increase
(a) Effective October 1, 2017, the subadvisory fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for certain asset levels.
(b) The fee is calculated based on the combined net assets of certain Columbia Funds subject to the subadviser’s investment management.
(c) Effective May 1, 2017, the subadvisory fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for certain asset levels.
(d) BIL assists in providing day-to-day portfolio management to the Fund pursuant to the sub-subadvisory agreement with BlackRock. BlackRock will pay BIL for its services.
(e) Effective November 1, 2018, the subadvisory fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
(f) Effective May 20, 2019, T. Rowe Price has agreed to a voluntary subadvisory fee waiver arrangement whereby the subadvisory fee for the Fund (or portion thereof subadvised by T. Rowe Price) is reduced by 2.5% on combined assets of VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund and the portion of VP – Partners Core Equity Fund subadvised by T. Rowe Price up to $1 billion, increasing to 15% as combined assets increase. The fee rate reflects the rate that would have been paid to the subadvisers if they had subadvised the Fund in the last fiscal year.
(g) Effective December 1, 2019, the subadvisory fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for certain asset levels.
(h) Effective April 1, 2020, the subadvisory fee schedule changed resulting in a fee rate decrease for all asset levels.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 96

 

A – American Century, located at 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111, is a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of American Century Companies, Inc. (“ACC”). The Stowers Institute for Medical Research (“SIMR”) controls ACC by virtue of its beneficial ownership of more than 25% of the voting securities of ACC. SIMR is part of a not-for-profit biomedical research organization dedicated to finding the keys to the causes, treatments and prevention of disease.
B – BlackRock, located at 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc.
C – DFA, located at 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746, is controlled and operated by its general partner, Dimensional Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation.
D – Threadneedle is a direct subsidiary of Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited and an affiliate of the Investment Manager, and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial. Threadneedle and Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited are located at Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6AG, United Kingdom. Although the Investment Manager and Threadneedle have entered into subadvisory agreements with respect to VP – Commodity Strategy Fund and VP – Overseas Core Fund, currently Threadneedle is not providing subadvisory services to the Funds and no Fees are paid thereunder.
E – JPMIM, located at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
F – Westfield, which is located at 1 Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111, is majority owned by Westfield’s employee partners with over 95% ownership of the firm.
G – MFS, located at 111 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02199, is a subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings, Inc., which in turn is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial, Inc. (a diversified financial services company).
H – MSIM, located at 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036, is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley.
I – T. Rowe Price, which is located at 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, is a wholly owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., each a Maryland corporation. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. was formed in 2000 as a holding company for the T. Rowe Price-affiliated companies.
J – Los Angeles Capital, located at 11150 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, is 100% employee owned.
K – WellsCap, located at 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo Asset Management Holdings, LLC, which is indirectly-owned by Wells Fargo & Company.
L – Jacobs Levy, which is located at 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932, is an independent firm.
M – Nuveen Asset Management is located at 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. Nuveen Asset Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, which is a subsidiary of Nuveen, LLC, the investment management arm of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America.
N – Loomis Sayles is an indirect subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers, LLC, which is part of Natixis Investment Managers, an international asset management group based in Paris, France, that is in turn owned by Natixis, a French investment banking and financial services firm. It is located at One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111.
O – William Blair, located at 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606, is a wholly owned subsidiary of WBC Holdings, L.P., which is wholly-owned by current William Blair and William Blair & Company employees.
P – SBH, located at 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551, is structured as a limited liability company with 38 members of staff as principals of the firm, owning 53% of the firm. The remaining 47% of the firm is owned by a fund managed by Thoma Bravo LLC, a private equity firm.
Q – TCW, which is located at 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The TCW Group, Inc. The Carlyle Group, LP (Carlyle), a global alternative asset manager, may be deemed to be a control person of TCW by reason of its control of certain investment funds that indirectly control more than 25% of the voting stock of TCW. Carlyle also controls various other pooled investment vehicles and, indirectly, many of the portfolio companies owned by those funds.
R – BMO, which is located at 115 South LaSalle Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMO Financial Corp., which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank of Montréal, a publicly held Canadian diversified financial services company.
S – Victory Capital is located at 15935 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256. Victory Capital is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Victory Capital Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded Delaware corporation.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 97

 

T – CenterSquare, which is located at 630 West Germantown Pike, Suite 300, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462, is a Delaware limited liability company and is 100% owned by CenterSquare Investment Management Holdings LLC (“CSIM Holdings LLC”). Lovell Minnick Partners LLC-sponsored private funds and certain co-investors are the majority owners of the equity interests of CSIM Holdings LLC. Certain members of CenterSquare’s management also own a substantial part of the equity interests and economics of CSIM Holdings LLC.
U – AQR is a Delaware limited liability company formed in 1998 and is located at Two Greenwich Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830. AQR is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AQR Capital Management Holdings, LLC (AQR Holdings), which has no activities other than holding the interest of AQR. Clifford S. Asness, Ph.D., M.B.A. may be deemed to control AQR through his voting control of the Board of Members of AQR Holdings. Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., a publicly traded holding company, holds a minority interest in AQR Holdings.
V – BIL, located at Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, Scotland, is a subsidiary of BlackRock Group Ltd.
W – Scout, located at 1201 Walnut Street, 21st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carillon Tower Advisors, Inc. (“CTA”), which in turn is wholly owned by Raymond James Financial, Inc.
The following table shows the subadvisory fees paid by the Investment Manager to the then-current subadvisers in the last three fiscal periods or, if shorter, since the Fund’s commencement of operations. For each of the applicable Funds with multiple subadvisers, the subadvisory fees are (i) aggregated for fees paid to any subadvisers for the Fund that are not affiliated with the Investment Manager, and (ii) disclosed individually for fees paid to each affiliated subadviser for the Fund of the Investment Manager.
    Subadvisory Fees Paid
Fund Subadviser 2019 2018 2017
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund American Century $2,651,716 $4,123,735 $5,959,503
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund BlackRock 169,991 179,146 196,633
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund CenterSquare 1,726,043 1,519,080 1,513,253
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund Threadneedle
(provided services through 12/9/2019)
921,466(a) 1,102,233 1,223,267
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund Loomis Sayles 6,285,802 5,705,064 5,715,029
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund Former subadviser:
Winslow Capital
(11/17/2010 – 4/30/2017)
N/A N/A 983,709
Los Angeles Capital 2,956,021 2,797,826 1,650,571(i)
VP – MFS Value Fund MFS 4,519,126 5,337,619 6,002,029
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund MSIM 5,788,992 5,146,660 4,101,842
VP – Overseas Core Fund Threadneedle
(provided services through 5/1/2018)
N/A 1,356,650(h) 3,679,139
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund Subadvisers 3,985,464(c) 3,498,972(c) 4,123,896(c)
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund Subadvisers 4,145,113(d) 3,241,513(d) 3,036,544(d)
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund AQR 6,587,518 3,362,613(g) N/A
Former subadviser:
Pyramis
(5/10/2010 – 5/21/2018)
N/A 3,263,365 8,406,060
VP – Partners International Growth Fund Former subadviser:
Oppenheimer
(5/1/2016 – 5/20/2019)
1,205,739 5,189,706 6,203,552
William Blair 1,733,261(b) N/A N/A
VP – Partners International Value Fund DFA 1,784,030 3,382,486 3,758,398
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund Subadvisers 2,192,617(e) 2,799,714(e) 2,727,365(e)
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund Subadvisers 3,274,721(f) 3,698,424(f) 3,988,650(f)
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 98

 

    Subadvisory Fees Paid
Fund Subadviser 2019 2018 2017
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund T. Rowe Price $4,843,071 $6,307,215 $6,489,285
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund TCW 2,161,833 2,126,863 2,384,739
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund Victory Capital 1,959,446 1,898,484 1,679,794
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund WellsCap 2,350,271 1,245,853 1,323,244
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund Former subadviser:
Jennison
(5/10/2010 – 9/18/2017)
N/A N/A 1,103,517
Westfield 2,076,033 2,008,389 534,182(j)
(a) Threadneedle provided services to the Fund pursuant to the subadvisory agreement through December 9, 2019. Accordingly, the amount shown is for the period from January 1, 2019 to December 9, 2019.
(b) For the period from May 20, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
(c) The fees shown represent the aggregate amount paid by the Investment Manager, with respect to the Fund, to all non-affiliated subadvisers for 2017, 2018, and 2019, which amounted to 0.123%, 0.110%, and 0.110%, respectively, of the Fund’s daily net assets as of each fiscal year end.
(d) The fees shown represent the aggregate amount paid by the Investment Manager, with respect to the Fund, to all non-affiliated subadvisers for 2017, 2018, and 2019, which amounted to 0.164%, 0.226%, and 0.198%, respectively, of the Fund’s daily net assets as of each fiscal year end.
(e) The fees shown represent the aggregate amount paid by the Investment Manager, with respect to the Fund, to all non-affiliated subadvisers for 2017, 2018, and 2019, which amounted to 0.430%, 0.401%, and 0.349%, respectively, of the Fund’s daily net assets as of each fiscal year end.
(f) The fees shown represent the aggregate amount paid by the Investment Manager, with respect to the Fund, to all non-affiliated subadvisers for 2017, 2018, and 2019, which amounted to 0.491%, 0.460%, and 0.457%, respectively, of the Fund’s daily net assets as of each fiscal year end.
(g) For the period from May 21, 2018 to December 31, 2018.
(h) Threadneedle provided services to the Fund pursuant to the subadvisory agreement through May 1, 2018. Accordingly, the amount shown is for the period from January 1, 2018 to May 1, 2018.
(i) For the period from May 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.
(j) For the period from September 18, 2017 to December 31, 2017.
Portfolio Managers. The following table provides information about the portfolio managers of each Fund (other than VP – Government Money Market Fund). The references in the Potential Conflicts of Interest and the Structure of Compensation columns in the table below refer, respectively, to the descriptions in the Potential Conflicts of Interest and Structure of Compensation subsections immediately following the table. All shares of the Funds are made available only through Qualified Plans or products offered by life insurance companies, and as of December 31, 2019, no portfolio manager had an interest in shares of the Funds. In addition to the other account information disclosed in the table, portfolio managers may have accounts holding Ameriprise Financial stock options granted to them as part of their compensation.
    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
Information is as of December 31, 2019, unless otherwise noted
VP – Aggressive Portfolio Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$68.39 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$63.42 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$69.94 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$63.71 billion
$3.10 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 99

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund American Century:
Alejandro Aguilar

16 RICs
4 PIVs
2 other accounts

$16.10 billion
$2.44 billion
$599.66 million

None

American
Century

American
Century
Robert Gahagan 19 RICs
4 PIVs
2 other accounts
$16.38 billion
$2.44 billion
$599.66 million
None
Jeffrey Houston 11 RICs
2 PIVs
$9.13 billion
$1.95 billion
None
Brian Howell 20 RICs
6 PIVs
7 other accounts
$16.35 billion
$2.71 billion
$1.75 billion
None
Charles Tan 10 RICs
1 PIV
$7.77 billion
$1.40 billion
None
VP – Balanced Fund Gregory Liechty 3 RICs
12 PIVs
42 other accounts
$4.40 billion
$1.88 billion
$4.34 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Guy Pope 7 RICs
7 PIVs
102 other accounts
$16.82 billion
$1.53 billion
$2.75 billion
None
Ronald Stahl 3 RICs
12 PIVs
42 other accounts
$4.40 billion
$1.88 billion
$4.61 billion
None
Jason Callan 14 RICs
9 PIVs
5 other accounts
$20.14 billion
$9.43 billion
$1.30 million
None
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund BlackRock:
Akiva Dickstein

12 RICs
12 PIVs
108 other accounts

$12.37 billion
$4.79 billion
$64.15 billion

6 PIVs
($3.62 B)
107 other accounts
($63.16 B)

BlackRock

BlackRock
Emanuella Enenajor(a) 6 RICs
3 PIVs
22 other accounts
$4.22 billion
$572.70 million
$11.83 billion
1 PIV
($206.80 M)
22 other accounts
($11.83 B)
Sub-Subadviser: BIL:
Christopher Allen
7 RICs
12 PIVs
25 other accounts
$6.68 billion
$16.36 billion
$11.92 billion
5 PIVs
($2.56 B)
25 other accounts
($11.92 B)
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund CenterSquare:
Dean Frankel

5 RICs
8 PIVs
62 other accounts

$2.08 billion
$841.00 million
$6.91 billion

5 other accounts
($792.01 M)

CenterSquare

CenterSquare
Eric Rothman 4 RICs
4 PIVs
54 other accounts
$1.39 billion
$147.00 million
$5.08 billion
3 other accounts
($421.91 M)
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund Matthew Ferrelli 2 RICs
2 other accounts
$1.05 billion
$0.19 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Marc Khalamayzer 6 RICs
6 other accounts
$1.10 billion
$0.49 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 100

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Conservative Portfolio Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$69.83 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$64.86 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$71.38 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$65.15 billion
$3.10 million
None
VP – Core Equity Fund Brian Condon(b) 22 RICs
2 PIVs
72 other accounts
$13.83 billion
$121.19 million
$8.92 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Peter Albanese 16 RICs
2 PIVs
70 other accounts
$13.77 billion
$121.19 million
$8.92 billion
None
Raghavendran Sivaraman 11 RICs
4 other accounts
$11.92 billion
$25.14 million
 
VP – Disciplined Core Fund Brian Condon(b) 22 RICs
2 PIVs
72 other accounts
$8.43 billion
$121.19 million
$8.92 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Peter Albanese 16 RICs
2 PIVs
70 other accounts
$8.37 billion
$121.19 million
$8.92 billion
 
Raghavendran Sivaraman 11 RICs
4 other accounts
$6.52 billion
$25.14 million
None
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund David King 5 RICs
7 other accounts
$6.89 billion
$27.94 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Yan Jin 5 RICs
11 other accounts
$6.89 billion
$5.25 million
None
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund Tim Jagger 3 RICs
1 PIV
$532.52 million
$5.66 billion
None Threadneedle Threadneedle
Christopher Cooke 2 RICs
1 PIV
$419.04 million
$5.66 billion
None
VP – Emerging Markets Fund Dara White 3 RICs
2 PIVs
13 other accounts
$1.61 billion
$480.05 million
$2.33 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Robert Cameron 2 RICs
2 PIVs
14 other accounts
$1.49 billion
$480.05 million
$1.28 billion
None
Young Kim 2 RICs
2 PIVs
11 other accounts
$1.49 billion
$480.05 million
$1.70 billion
None
Perry Vickery 2 RICs
2 PIVs
14 other accounts
$1.49 billion
$480.05 million
$1.34 billion
None
Derek Lin(c) 7 other accounts $0.61 million None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 101

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund Gene Tannuzzo 8 RICs
1 PIV
65 other accounts
$14.49 billion
$84.11 million
$1.64 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Ryan Staszewski None None None Threadneedle Threadneedle
Tim Jagger 3 RICs
1 PIV
$739.39 million
$5.66 billion
None
VP – High Yield Bond Fund Brian Lavin 6 RICs
1 PIV
14 other accounts
$3.16 billion
$292.73 million
$1.45 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Daniel DeYoung 3 RICs
5 other accounts
$3.11 billion
$1.27 million
None
VP – Income Opportunities Fund Brian Lavin 6 RICs
1 PIV
14 other accounts
$3.15 billion
$292.73 million
$1.45 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Daniel DeYoung 3 RICs
5 other accounts
$3.10 billion
$1.27 million
None
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund Gene Tannuzzo 8 RICs
1 PIV
65 other accounts
$9.94 billion
$84.11 million
$1.64 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Jason Callan 14 RICs
18 PIVs
5 other accounts
$15.84 billion
$9.43 billion
$1.30 million
None
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund Melda Mergen 6 RICs
17 other accounts
$7.39 billion
$923.28 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Peter Santoro 6 RICs
1 PIV
59 other accounts
$26.27 billion
$56.03 million
$2.80 billion
None
Tchintcia Barros 2 RICs
6 other accounts
$5.26 billion
$322.28 million
None
VP – Large Cap Index Fund Christopher Lo 11 RICs
1 PIV
30 other accounts
$11.76 billion
$98.10 million
$224.45 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Vadim Shteyn 3 RICs
1 PIV
551 other accounts
$11.36 billion
$98.10 million
$589.10 million
None
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund Tom Murphy 12 RICs
16 PIVs
22 other accounts
$3.64 billion
$21.65 billion
$4.32 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Royce Wilson 1 RIC
4 other accounts
$687.72 million
$0.62 million
None
John Dawson(c) 6 other accounts $1.25 million None
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund Loomis Sayles:
Aziz Hamzaogullari

31 RICs
25 PIVs
135 other accounts

$25.52 billion
$9.77 billion
$23.20 billion

2 PIVs
($777.21 M)

Loomis Sayles

Loomis Sayles
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 102

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Los Angeles Large Cap Growth Fund Los Angeles Capital:
Thomas Stevens

13 RICs
17 PIVs
37 other accounts

$6.66 billion
$4.89 billion
$13.23 billion

1 RIC
($3.91 B)
5 PIVs
($1.52 B)
6 other accounts
($7.56 B)

Los Angeles Capital

Los Angeles Capital
Hal Reynolds 13 RICs
17 PIVs
37 other accounts
$6.66 billion
$4.89 billion
$13.23 billion
1 RIC
($3.91 B)
5 PIVs
($1.52 B)
6 other accounts
($7.56 B)
Daniel Allen 9 RICs
17 PIVs
37 other accounts
$1.98 billion
$4.89 billion
$13.23 billion
5 PIVs
($1.52 B)
6 other accounts
($7.56 B)
Daniel Arche 1 RIC
5 PIVs
11 other accounts
$830.00 million
$1.94 billion
$2.25 billion
3 PIVs
($840.00 M)
VP – MFS Value Fund MFS:
Katherine Cannan

11 RICs
2 PIVs
18 other accounts

$64.80 billion
$3.30 billion
$9.40 billion

None

MFS

MFS
Nevin Chitkara 18 RICs
8 PIVs
39 other accounts
$79.90 billion
$6.60 billion
$19.60 billion
None
Steve Gorham(d) 17 RICs
8 PIVs
39 other accounts
$79.80 billion
$6.60 billion
$19.60 billion
None
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund Matthew Litfin 5 RICs
8 other accounts
$6.89 billion
$22.99 million
None Columbia WAM Columbia Management
Erika Maschmeyer 2 RICs
9 other accounts
$5.89 billion
$17.02 million
None
John Emerson 3 RICs
13 other accounts
$2.09 billion
$17.30 million
None
VP – Moderate Portfolio Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$53.71 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$48.74 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$55.26 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$49.03 billion
$3.10 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 103

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$63.14 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$58.17 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$64.69 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$58.46 billion
$3.10 million
None
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$67.88 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$62.91 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$69.43 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$63.20 billion
$3.10 million
None
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund MSIM:
Dennis Lynch

21 RICs
17 PIVs
17 other accounts

$17.29 billion
$13.96 billion
$3.80 billion

2 other accounts ($527.10 M)

MSIM

MSIM
Sam Chainani 20 RICs
16 PIVs
16 other accounts
$17.28 billion
$13.95 billion
$3.69 billion
2 other accounts ($527.10 M)
Jason Yeung 20 RICs
16 PIVs
16 other accounts
$17.28 billion
$13.95 billion
$3.69 billion
2 other accounts ($527.10 M)
Armistead Nash 20 RICs
16 PIVs
16 other accounts
$17.28 billion
$13.95 billion
$3.69 billion
2 other accounts ($527.10 M)
David Cohen 20 RICs
16 PIVs
16 other accounts
$17.28 billion
$13.95 billion
$3.69 billion
2 other accounts ($527.10 M)
Alexander Norton 20 RICs
16 PIVs
16 other accounts
$17.28 billion
$13.95 billion
$3.69 billion
2 other accounts ($527.10 M)
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund Joshua Kutin 42 RICs
6 PIVs
29 other accounts
$55.67 billion
$0.33 million
$5.29 million
None Columbia Management
- FoF
Columbia Management
David Weiss 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$50.70 billion
$1.90 million
None
Anwiti Bahuguna 22 RICs
25 PIVs
35 other accounts
$57.22 billion
$3.51 billion
$115.53 million
None
Brian Virginia 16 RICs
9 other accounts
$50.99 billion
$3.10 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 104

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Overseas Core Fund Fred Copper 6 RICs
7 other accounts
$3.12 billion
$131.32 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Daisuke Nomoto 5 RICs
1 PIV
4 other accounts
$2.46 billion
$1.11 billion
$3.08 million
None
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund JPMIM:
Richard Figuly

23 RICs
13 PIVs
16 other accounts

$64.90 billion
$17.10 billion
$6.30 billion

1 other account
($1.02 B)

JPMIM

JPMIM
Justin Rucker 12 RICs
7 PIVs
24 other accounts
$44.20 billion
$13.07 billion
$9.40 billion
1 other account
($1.02 B)
WellsCap:
Thomas O’Connor(e)

8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts

$18.34 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion

1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)

WellsCap

WellsCap
Maulik Bhansali 8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts
$18.34 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion
1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)
Jarad Vasquez 8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts
$18.34 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion
1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund Jacobs Levy:
Bruce Jacobs

11 RICs
19 PIVs
99 other accounts

$2.66 billion
$2.45 billion
$7.36 billion

1 PIV
($110.52 M)
8 other accounts
($2.21 B)

Jacobs Levy

Jacobs Levy
Kenneth Levy 11 RICs
19 PIVs
99 other accounts
$2.66 billion
$2.45 billion
$7.36 billion
1 PIV
($110.52 M)
8 other accounts
($2.21 B)
T. Rowe Price:
Jeffrey Rottinghaus

2 RICs
8 PIVs
1 other account

$3.01 billion
$3.60 billion
$2.53 million

None

T. Rowe Price

T. Rowe Price
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 105

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund AQR:
Michele Aghassi

11 RICs
13 PIVs
13 other accounts

$8.68 billion
$7.13 billion
$4.83 billion

2 RICs
($187.58 M)
10 PIVs
($4.92 B)
4 other accounts
($1.81 B)

AQR

AQR
Andrea Frazzini 28 RICs
20 PIVs
30 other accounts
$16.32 billion
$10.32 billion
$15.67 billion
2 RICs
($187.58 M)
17 PIVs
($8.11 B)
7 other accounts
($2.01 B)
Ronen Israel(c) 27 RICs
51 PIVs
49 other accounts
$12.50 billion
$21.01 billion
$25.40 billion
46 PIVs
($18.59 B)
17 other accounts ($7.84 B)
Lars Nielsen(c) 28 RICs
51 PIVs
49 other accounts
$12.66 billion
$21.01 billion
$25.40 billion
46 PIVs
($18.59 B)
17 other accounts ($7.84 B)
VP – Partners International Growth Fund William Blair:
Simon Fennell

10 RICs
20 PIVs
40 other accounts

$8.35 billion
$4.29 billion
$10.69 billion

None

William Blair

William Blair
Kenneth McAtamney 10 RICs
25 PIVs
39 other accounts
$8.21 billion
$4.02 billion
$12.20 billion
None
VP – Partners International Value Fund DFA:
Jed Fogdall
110 RICs
25 PIVs
78 other accounts
$428.83 billion
$18.97 billion
$28.69 billion
1 PIV
($180.14 M)
6 other accounts
($3.95 B)

DFA

DFA
Bhanu Singh 48 RICs
1 PIV
1 other account
$197.78 billion
$50.20 million
$598.71 million
 
Mary Philips 74 RICs
2 PIVs
$215.24 billion
$2.34 billion
None
Arun Keswani(f) 20 RICs
10 other accounts
$47.19 billion
$3.80 billion
3 other accounts
($2.49 B)
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 106

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund BMO:
David Corris

9 RICs
16 PIVs
111 other accounts

$1.70 billion
$3.54 billion
$6.49 billion

None

BMO

BMO
Thomas Lettenberger 5 RICs
6 PIVs
30 other accounts
$428.24 million
$452.91 million
$603.28 million
None
Scout:
James McBride

1 RIC
3 other accounts

$336.22 million
$9.84 million

None

Scout

Scout
Timothy Miller 1 RIC
3 other accounts
$336.22 million
$9.84 million
None
WellsCap:
Thomas Ognar

7 RICs
5 PIVs
44 other accounts

$9.69 billion
$1.29 billion
$1.22 billion

None

WellsCap

WellsCap
Joseph Eberhardy 7 RICs
5 PIVs
44 other accounts
$9.69 billion
$1.29 billion
$1.22 billion
None
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund Jacobs Levy:
Bruce Jacobs

11 RICs
19 PIVs
99 other accounts

$4.27 billion
$2.45 billion
$7.36 billion

1 PIV
($110.52 M)
8 other accounts
($2.21 B)

Jacobs Levy

Jacobs Levy
Kenneth Levy 11 RICs
19 PIVs
99 other accounts
$4.27 billion
$2.45 billion
$7.36 billion
1 PIV
($110.52 M)
8 other accounts
($2.21 B)
Nuveen Asset Management:
Karen Bowie


None


None
   
None

Nuveen Asset Management

Nuveen Asset Management
SBH:
Mark Dickherber

3 RICs
77 other accounts

$217.50 million
$836.70 million

None

SBH

SBH
Shaun Nicholson 2 RICs
42 other accounts
$179.40 million
$458.80 million
None
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund Peter Santoro 6 RICs
1 PIV
59 other accounts
$26.98 billion
$56.03 million
$2.80 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Melda Mergen 6 RICs
17 other accounts
$8.11 billion
$923.28 million
None
Tiffany Wade 2 RICs
9 other accounts
$914.81 million
$485.14 million
 
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund Richard Rosen 2 RICs
308 other accounts
$1.46 billion
$2.68 billion
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Richard Taft 2 RICs
308 other accounts
$1.46 billion
$2.67 billion
None
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund Kari Montanus 3 RICs
16 other accounts
$2.17 billion
$21.38 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Jonas Patrikson 3 RICs
19 other accounts
$2.17 billion
$20.98 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 107

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund Kari Montanus 3 RICs
16 other accounts
$2.41 billion
$21.38 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Jonas Patrikson 3 RICs
19 other accounts
$2.41 billion
$20.98 million
None
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund Paul Wick 4 RICs
4 PIVs
5 other accounts
$8.78 billion
$1.09 billion
$258.35 million
2 PIVs
($670.43 M)
Columbia Management Columbia Management
– Tech Team
Shekhar Pramanick 4 RICs
5 other accounts
$8.78 billion
$6.31 million
None
Sanjay Devgan 3 RICs
3 other accounts
$8.41 billion
$1.86 million
None
Jeetil Patel 4 RICs
6 other accounts
$8.78 billion
$3.27 million
None
Christopher Boova 4 RICs
7 other accounts
$8.78 billion
$6.32 million
None
Vimal Patel 4 RICs
7 other accounts
$8.78 billion
$3.71 million
None
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund T. Rowe Price:
Heather McPherson

5 RICs
8 PIVs
19 other accounts

$11.85 billion
$1.98 billion
$4.74 billion

None

T. Rowe Price

T. Rowe Price
Mark Finn 10 RICs
15 PIVs
23 other accounts
$43.31 billion
$24.69 billion
$6.06 billion
None
John Linehan 16 RICs
18 PIVs
27 other accounts
$40.53 billion
$15.18 billion
$6.40 billion
None
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund TCW:
Tad Rivelle

31 RICs
48 PIVs
219 other accounts

$112.18 billion
$16.64 billion
$50.53 billion

26 PIVs
($3.71 B)
8 other accounts
($4.60 B)

TCW

TCW
Laird Landmann 29 RICs
20 PIVs
192 other accounts
$106.80 billion
$10.26 billion
$40.38 billion
3 PIVs
($640.97 M)
7 other accounts
($4.42 B)
Stephen Kane 32 RICs
29 PIVs
202 other accounts
$106.85 billion
$13.78 billion
$44.75 billion
9 PIVs
($2.95 B)
7 other accounts
($4.42 B)
Bryan Whalen 29 RICs
40 PIVs
211 other accounts
$112.16 billion
$13.18 billion
$46.41 billion
20 PIVs
($1.40 B)
8 other accounts
($4.60 B)
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund Jason Callan 14 RICs
9 PIVs
5 other accounts
$19.49 billion
$9.43 billion
$1.30 million
None Columbia Management Columbia Management
Tom Heuer 4 RICs
5 other accounts
$4.04 billion
$3.28 million
None
Ryan Osborn 3 RICs
6 other accounts
$4.03 billion
$1.72 million
None
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 108

 

    Other Accounts Managed (excluding the Fund)    
Fund Portfolio Manager Number and type
of account*
Approximate
Total Net Assets
Performance
Based
Accounts**
Potential
Conflicts
of Interest
Structure of
Compensation
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund Victory Capital:
Gary Miller

5 RICs
4 PIVs
19 other accounts

$21.26 billion
$576.27 million
$1.19 billion

None

Victory Capital

Victory Capital
Gregory Conners 5 RICs
4 PIVs
19 other accounts
$21.26 billion
$576.27 million
$1.19 billion
None
Jeffrey Graff 5 RICs
4 PIVs
19 other accounts
$21.26 billion
$576.27 million
$1.19 billion
None
James Albers 5 RICs
4 PIVs
19 other accounts
$21.26 billion
$576.27 million
$1.19 billion
None
Michael Rodarte 5 RICs
4 PIVs
19 other accounts
$21.26 billion
$576.27 million
$1.19 billion
None
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund WellsCap:
Thomas O’Connor(e)

8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts

$19.65 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion

1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)

WellsCap

WellsCap
Maulik Bhansali 8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts
$19.65 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion
1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)
Jarad Vasquez 8 RICs
5 PIVs
36 other accounts
$19.65 billion
$3.12 billion
$13.51 billion
1 PIV
($50.62 M)
2 other accounts
($841.99 M)
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund Westfield:
William Muggia

9 RICs
7 PIVs
286 other accounts

$3.09 billion
$1.04 billion
$9.74 billion

1 PIV
($28.00 M)
25 other accounts
($2.69 B)

Westfield

Westfield
Richard Lee 8 RICs
4 PIVs
232 other accounts
$2.95 billion
$988.00 million
$8.37 billion
22 other accounts
($1.93 B)
Ethan Meyers 8 RICs
4 PIVs
232 other accounts
$2.95 billion
$988.00 million
$8.37 billion
22 other accounts
($1.93 B)
* RIC refers to a Registered Investment Company; PIV refers to a Pooled Investment Vehicle.
** Number of accounts for which the advisory fee paid is based in part or wholly on performance and the aggregate net assets in those accounts.
(a) The portfolio manager began managing the Fund after its last fiscal year end; reporting information is provided as of February 29, 2020.
(b) Mr. Condon expects to retire effective May 31, 2020. Accordingly, effective June 1, 2020, all references to Mr. Condon in the SAI for the Fund are hereby removed.
(c) The portfolio manager began managing the Fund after its last fiscal year end.
(d) Mr. Gorham will no longer serve as portfolio manager of the Fund effective December 31, 2020. As of such date, all references to Mr. Gorham in the SAI for the Fund are hereby removed.
(e) Mr. O’Connor expects to retire effective December 31, 2020. Accordingly, effective January 1, 2021, all references to Mr. O’Connor in the SAI for the Fund are hereby removed.
(f) The portfolio manager began managing the Fund after its last fiscal year end; reporting information is provided as of March 31, 2020.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 109

 

Potential Conflicts of Interest
American Century: Certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple portfolios. Potential conflicts include, for example, conflicts among investment strategies, such as one portfolio buying or selling a security while another portfolio has a differing, potentially opposite position in such security. This may include one portfolio taking a short position in the security of an issuer that is held long in another portfolio (or vice versa). Other potential conflicts may arise with respect to the allocation of investment opportunities, which are discussed in more detail below. American Century has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to minimize the effects of these conflicts.
Responsibility for managing American Century Investments client portfolios is organized according to investment discipline. Investment disciplines include, for example, disciplined equity, global growth equity, global value equity, global fixed income, multi-asset strategies, exchange traded funds, and Avantis Investors funds. Within each discipline are one or more portfolio teams responsible for managing specific client portfolios. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by the same team using the same objective, approach, and philosophy. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest. In addition, American Century Investments maintains an ethical wall that restricts real time access to information regarding any portfolio’s transaction activities and positions to team members that have responsibility for a given portfolio or are within the same equity investment discipline. The ethical wall is intended to aid in preventing the misuse of portfolio holdings information and trading activity in the other disciplines.
For each investment strategy, one portfolio is generally designated as the “policy portfolio.” Other portfolios with similar investment objectives, guidelines and restrictions are referred to as “tracking portfolios.” When managing policy and tracking portfolios, a portfolio team typically purchases and sells securities across all portfolios that the team manages. American Century’s trading systems include various order entry programs that assist in the management of multiple portfolios, such as the ability to purchase or sell the same relative amount of one security across several funds. In some cases a tracking portfolio may have additional restrictions or limitations that cause it to be managed separately from the policy portfolio. Portfolio managers make purchase and sale decisions for such portfolios alongside the policy portfolio to the extent the overlap is appropriate, and separately, if the overlap is not. American Century may aggregate orders to purchase or sell the same security for multiple portfolios when it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution on behalf of its clients. Orders of certain client portfolios may, by investment restriction or otherwise, be determined not available for aggregation. American Century has adopted policies and procedures to minimize the risk that a client portfolio could be systematically advantaged or disadvantaged in connection with the aggregation of orders. To the extent equity trades are aggregated, shares purchased or sold are generally allocated to the participating portfolios pro rata based on order size. Because initial public offerings (IPOs) are usually available in limited supply and in amounts too small to permit across-the-board pro rata allocations, American Century has adopted special procedures designed to promote a fair and equitable allocation of IPO securities among clients over time. Fixed income securities transactions are not executed through a centralized trading desk. Instead, fund teams are responsible for executing trades with broker/dealers in a predominantly dealer marketplace. Trade allocation decisions are made by the portfolio manager at the time of trade execution and orders entered on the fixed income order management system.
Finally, investment of American Century’s corporate assets in proprietary accounts may raise additional conflicts of interest. To mitigate these potential conflicts of interest, American Century has adopted policies and procedures intended to provide that trading in proprietary accounts is performed in a manner that does not give improper advantage to American Century to the detriment of client portfolios.
  AQR: Each of the portfolio managers is also responsible for managing other accounts in addition to the respective Fund the portfolio manager manages, including other accounts of AQR, or its affiliates. Other accounts may include, without limitation, separately managed accounts for foundations, endowments, pension plans, and high net-worth families; registered investment companies; unregistered investment companies relying on either Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (such companies are commonly referred to as “hedge funds”); foreign investment companies; and may also include accounts or investments managed or made by the portfolio managers in a personal or other capacity (“Proprietary Accounts”). Management of other accounts in addition to the Fund can present certain conflicts of interest, as described below.
  From time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio manager’s management of the investments of the Fund, on the one hand, and the management of other accounts (including for the purposes of this discussion, Proprietary Accounts), on the other. The other accounts might have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Fund. Because of their positions with the Fund, the portfolio managers know the size, timing and possible market impact of the Fund's trades. A potential conflict of interest exists where portfolio managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the Fund.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 110

 

  A number of potential conflicts of interest may arise as a result of AQR’s or the portfolio manager’s management of a number of accounts with similar investment strategies. Often, an investment opportunity may be suitable for both the Fund and other accounts, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Fund and another account. In circumstances where the amount of total exposure to a strategy or investment type across accounts is, in the opinion of AQR, capacity constrained, the availability of the strategy or investment type for the Fund and other accounts may be reduced in AQR’s discretion. The Fund may therefore have reduced exposure to a capacity constrained strategy or investment type, which could adversely affect the Fund's return. AQR is not obligated to allocate capacity pro rata and may take its financial interests into account when allocating capacity among the Fund and other accounts. Among other things, capacity constraints in a particular strategy or investment type could cause the Fund to close to all or certain new investors
  Another conflict could arise where different account guidelines and/or differences within particular investment strategies may lead to the use of different investment practices for portfolios with a similar investment strategy. AQR will not necessarily purchase or sell the same instruments at the same time or in the same direction (particularly if different accounts have different strategies), or in the same proportionate amounts for all eligible accounts (particularly if different accounts have materially different amounts of capital under management, different amounts of investable cash available, different investment restrictions, or different risk tolerances). As a result, although AQR manages numerous accounts and/or portfolios with similar or identical investment objectives, or may manage accounts with different objectives that trade in the same instruments, the portfolio decisions relating to these accounts, and the performance resulting from such decisions, may differ from account to account. AQR may, from time to time, implement new trading strategies or participate in new trading strategies for some but not all accounts, including the Fund. Strategies may not be implemented in the same manner among accounts where they are employed, even if the strategy is consistent with the objectives of such accounts. In certain circumstances, investment opportunities that are in limited supply and/or have limited return potential in light of administrative costs of pursuing such investments (e.g., IPOS) are only allocated to accounts where the given opportunity is more closely aligned with the applicable strategy and/or trading approach.
  Whenever decisions are made to buy or sell investments by the Fund and one or more other accounts simultaneously, AQR or the portfolio manager may aggregate the purchases and sales of the investments and will allocate the transactions in a manner that it believes to be equitable under the circumstances. To this end, AQR has adopted policies and procedures that are intended to assure that investment opportunities are allocated equitably among accounts over time. As a result of the allocations, there may be instances where the Fund will not participate in a transaction that is allocated among other accounts or the Fund may not be allocated the full amount of the investments sought to be traded. These aggregation and allocation policies could have a detrimental effect on the price or amount of the investments available to the Fund from time to time. Subject to applicable laws and/or account restrictions, AQR may buy, sell or hold securities for other accounts while entering into a different or opposite investment decision for one or more funds.
  To the extent that the Fund holds interests in an issuer that are different (or more senior or junior) than, or potentially adverse to, those held by other accounts, AQR may be presented with investment decisions where the outcome would benefit one account and would not benefit or would harm the other account. This may include, but is not limited to, an account investing in a different security of an issuer’s capital structure than another account, an account investing in the same security but on different terms than another account, an account obtaining exposure to an investment using different types of securities or instruments than another account, an account engaging in short selling of securities that another account holds long, an account voting securities in a different manner than another account, and/or an account acquiring or disposing of its interests at different times than another account. This could have a material adverse effect on, or in some instances could benefit, one or more of such accounts, including accounts that are affiliates of AQR, accounts in which AQR has an interest, or accounts which pay AQR higher fees or a performance fee. These transactions or investments by one or more accounts could dilute or otherwise disadvantage the values, prices, or investment strategies of such accounts. When AQR, on behalf of an account, manages or implements a portfolio decision ahead of, or contemporaneously with, portfolio decisions of another account, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in such other account receiving less favorable pricing or trading results, paying higher transaction costs, or being otherwise disadvantaged. In addition, in connection with the foregoing, AQR, on behalf of an account, is permitted to pursue or enforce rights or actions, or refrain from pursuing or enforcing rights or actions, with respect to a particular issuer in which action could materially adversely affect such other account.
  In addition, when the Fund and other accounts hold investments in the same issuer (including at the same place in the capital structure), the Fund may be prohibited by applicable law from participating in restructurings, work-outs or other activities related to its investment in the issuer. As a result, the Fund may not be permitted by law to make the same investment decisions as other accounts in the same or similar situations even if AQR believes it would be in the Fund's best economic interests to do so. The Fund may be prohibited by applicable law from investing in an issuer (or an affiliate) that other accounts are also investing in or currently invest in even if AQR believes it would be in the best economic interests of
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 111

 

  the Fund to do so. Furthermore, entering into certain transactions that are not deemed prohibited by law when made may potentially lead to a condition that raises regulatory or legal concerns in the future. This may be the case, for example, with issuers that AQR considers to be at risk of default and restructuring or work-outs with debt holders, which may include the Fund and other accounts. In some cases, to avoid the potential of future prohibited transactions, AQR may avoid allocating an investment opportunity to the Fund that it would otherwise recommend, subject to the AQR’s then- current allocation policy and any applicable exemptions.
  In certain circumstances, AQR may be restricted from transacting in a security or instrument because of material nonpublic information received in connection with an investment opportunity that is offered to AQR. In other circumstances, AQR will not participate in an investment opportunity to avoid receiving material nonpublic information that would restrict AQR from transacting in a security or instrument. These restrictions may adversely impact the Fund's performance.
  AQR and the Fund's portfolio managers may also face a conflict of interest where some accounts pay higher fees to AQR than others, as they may have an incentive to favor accounts with the potential for greater fees. For instance, the entitlement to a performance fee in managing one or more accounts may create an incentive for AQR to take risks in managing assets that it would not otherwise take in the absence of such arrangements. Additionally, since performance fees reward AQR for performance in accounts which are subject to such fees, AQR may have an incentive to favor these accounts over those that have only fixed asset-based fees, such as the Fund, with respect to areas such as trading opportunities, trade allocation, and allocation of new investment opportunities.
  AQR has implemented specific policies and procedures (e.g., a code of ethics and trade allocation policies) that seek to address potential conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with the management of the Fund and other accounts and that are designed to ensure that all accounts, including the Fund, are treated fairly and equitably over time.
  BlackRock: BlackRock has built a professional working environment, firm-wide compliance culture and compliance procedures and systems designed to protect against potential incentives that may favor one account over another. BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures that address the allocation of investment opportunities, execution of portfolio transactions, personal trading by employees and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all client accounts are treated equitably over time. Nevertheless, BlackRock furnishes investment management and advisory services to numerous clients in addition to the Fund, and BlackRock may, consistent with applicable law, make investment recommendations to other clients or accounts (including accounts which are hedge funds or have performance or higher fees paid to BlackRock, or in which portfolio managers have a personal interest in the receipt of such fees), which may be the same as or different from those made to the Fund. In addition, BlackRock, its affiliates and significant shareholders and any officer, director, shareholder or employee may or may not have an interest in the securities whose purchase and sale BlackRock recommends to the Fund. BlackRock, or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders, or any officer, director, shareholder, employee or any member of their families may take different actions than those recommended to the Fund by BlackRock with respect to the same securities. Moreover, BlackRock may refrain from rendering any advice or services concerning securities of companies of which any of BlackRock’s (or its affiliates’ or significant shareholders’) officers, directors or employees are directors or officers, or companies as to which BlackRock or any of its affiliates or significant shareholders or the officers, directors and employees of any of them has any substantial economic interest or possesses material non-public information. Certain portfolio managers also may manage accounts whose investment strategies may at times be opposed to the strategy utilized for a fund. It should also be noted that Mr. Dickstein and Ms. Enenajor may be managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, or may be part of a team managing hedge fund and/or long only accounts, subject to incentive fees. Mr. Dickstein and Ms. Enenajor may therefore be entitled to receive a portion of any incentive fees earned on such accounts.
  As a fiduciary, BlackRock owes a duty of loyalty to its clients and must treat each client fairly. When BlackRock purchases or sells securities for more than one account, the trades must be allocated in a manner consistent with its fiduciary duties. BlackRock attempts to allocate investments in a fair and equitable manner among client accounts, with no account receiving preferential treatment. To this end, BlackRock has adopted policies that are intended to ensure reasonable efficiency in client transactions and provide BlackRock with sufficient flexibility to allocate investments in a manner that is consistent with the particular investment discipline and client base, as appropriate.
  Sub-Subadviser BIL: For Potential Conflicts of Interest information, reference Potential Conflicts of Interest: BlackRock.
  BMO: A conflict of interest may arise as a result of a portfolio manager being responsible for multiple accounts, including the Fund, which may have different investment guidelines and objectives. In addition to the Fund, these accounts may include other mutual funds managed on an advisory or subadvisory basis, separate accounts, and collective trust accounts. An investment opportunity may be suitable for a Fund as well as for any of the other managed accounts. However, the investment may not be available in sufficient quantity for all of the accounts to participate fully. In addition, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by a Fund and the other accounts. The other accounts may have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Fund, they may track the same benchmarks or indexes as the Fund tracks, and they
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 112

 

  may sell securities that are eligible to be held, sold or purchased by the Fund. A portfolio manager may be responsible for accounts that have different advisory fee schedules, which may create the incentive for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another in terms of access to investment opportunities. A portfolio manager also may manage accounts whose investment objectives and policies differ from those of the Fund, which may cause the portfolio manager to effect trading in one account that may have an adverse effect on the value of the holdings within another account, including a Fund.
  To address and manage these potential conflicts of interest, BMO has adopted compliance policies and procedures to allocate investment opportunities and to ensure that each of its clients is treated on a fair and equitable basis. Such policies and procedures include, but are not limited to, trade allocation and trade aggregation policies, cross trading policies, portfolio manager assignment practices, and oversight by investment management, and/or compliance departments.
  CenterSquare: From time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio manager’s management of the investments of the Fund, on the one hand, and the management of other accounts, on the other. The portfolio managers oversee the investment of various types of accounts in the same strategy, such as mutual funds, pooled investment vehicles and separate accounts for individuals and institutions. Investment decisions generally are applied to all accounts utilizing that particular strategy, taking into consideration client restrictions, instructions and individual needs. A portfolio manager may manage an account whose fees may be higher or lower than the fee charged to the Fund to provide for varying client circumstances. Management of multiple funds and accounts may create potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities, and the aggregation and allocation of client trades. Additionally, the management of the Fund and other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Fund or other accounts.
  During the normal course of managing assets for multiple clients of varying types and asset levels, the portfolio managers may encounter conflicts of interest, that could, if not properly addressed, be harmful to one or more of our clients. Those of a material nature that are encountered most frequently involve security selection, employee personal securities trading, proxy voting and the allocation of securities. To mitigate these conflicts and ensure its clients are not impacted negatively by the adverse actions of CenterSquare or its employees, CenterSquare has implemented a series of policies including, but not limited to, its Code of Ethics, which addresses avoidance of conflicts of interest and includes the firm’s personal security trading policies, which addresses personal security trading and requires the use of approved brokers, Trade Allocation/Aggregation Policy, which addresses fairness of trade allocation to client accounts, and the Proxy and Trade Error Policies which are designed to prevent and detect conflicts when they occur. CenterSquare reasonably believes that these and other policies combined with the periodic review and testing performed by its compliance professionals adequately protects the interest of its clients. A portfolio manager may also face other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict of interest that could be deemed to exist in managing both the Fund and the other accounts listed above.
  Columbia Management: Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, a Fund’s portfolio manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the Fund and other accounts at the same time. The Investment Manager and the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of the potential conflicts that portfolio managers face in this regard. Certain of these conflicts of interest are summarized below.
  The management of accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures, including accounts that pay advisory fees based on account performance (performance fee accounts), may raise potential conflicts of interest for a portfolio manager by creating an incentive to favor higher fee accounts.
  Potential conflicts of interest also may arise when a portfolio manager has personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. As a general matter and subject to the Investment Manager’s Code of Ethics and certain limited exceptions, the Investment Manager’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the funds.
  A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those Funds and/or accounts. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where Funds and/or accounts managed by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.
  A portfolio manager may be able to select or influence the selection of the broker/dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Funds. A portfolio manager’s decision as to the selection of broker/dealers could produce disproportionate costs and benefits among the Funds and the other accounts the portfolio manager manages.
  A potential conflict of interest may arise when a portfolio manager buys or sells the same securities for a Fund and other accounts. On occasions when a portfolio manager considers the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as other accounts, the Investment Manager’s trading desk may, to the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or bought in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to a Fund or another account if a portfolio
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  manager favors one account over another in allocating the securities bought or sold. The Investment Manager and its Participating Affiliates (including Threadneedle) may coordinate their trading operations for certain types of securities and transactions pursuant to personnel-sharing agreements or similar intercompany arrangements. However, typically the Investment Manager does not coordinate trading activities with a Participating Affiliate with respect to accounts of that Participating Affiliate unless such Participating Affiliate is also providing trading services for accounts managed by the Investment Manager. Similarly, a Participating Affiliate typically does not coordinate trading activities with the Investment Manager with respect to accounts of the Investment Manager unless the Investment Manager is also providing trading services for accounts managed by such Participating Affiliate. As a result, it is possible that the Investment Manager and its Participating Affiliates may trade in the same instruments at the same time, in the same or opposite direction or in different sequence, which could negatively impact the prices paid by the Fund on such instruments. Additionally, in circumstances where trading services are being provided on a coordinated basis for the Investment Manager’s accounts (including the Funds) and the accounts of one or more Participating Affiliates in accordance with applicable law, it is possible that the allocation opportunities available to the Funds may be decreased, especially for less actively traded securities, or orders may take longer to execute, which may negatively impact Fund performance.
  “Cross trades,” in which a portfolio manager sells a particular security held by a Fund to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), could involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, a portfolio manager is permitted to sell a security from one account to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay. The Investment Manager and the Funds have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between a Fund and another account managed by the Investment Manager are to be made at a current market price, consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
  Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different investment objectives and strategies of a Fund and other accounts managed by its portfolio manager(s). Depending on another account’s objectives and other factors, a portfolio manager may give advice to and make decisions for a Fund that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to another account. A portfolio manager’s investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a portfolio manager may buy or sell a particular security for certain accounts, and not for a Fund, even though it could have been bought or sold for the Fund at the same time. A portfolio manager also may buy a particular security for one or more accounts when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when a portfolio manager’s purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts, including the Funds.
  To the extent a Fund invests in underlying funds, a portfolio manager will be subject to the potential conflicts of interest described in Potential Conflicts of Interest – Columbia Management – FOF (Fund-of-Funds) below.
  A Fund’s portfolio manager(s) also may have other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could exist in managing the Fund and other accounts. Many of the potential conflicts of interest to which the Investment Manager’s portfolio managers are subject are essentially the same or similar to the potential conflicts of interest related to the investment management activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
  Columbia Management – FoF (Fund-of-Funds): Management of funds-of-funds differs from that of the other Funds. The portfolio management process is set forth generally below and in more detail in the Funds’ prospectus.
  Portfolio managers of the fund-of-funds may be involved in determining each funds-of-fund’s allocation among the three main asset classes (equity, fixed income and cash) and the allocation among investment categories within each asset class, as well as each funds-of-fund’s allocation among the underlying funds.
Because of the structure of the funds-of-funds, the potential conflicts of interest for the portfolio managers may be different than the potential conflicts of interest for portfolio managers who manage other Funds.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may receive higher compensation as a result of allocations to underlying funds with higher fees.
In addition to the accounts above, portfolio managers may manage accounts in a personal capacity that may include holdings that are similar to, or the same as, those of the Fund. The Investment Manager has in place a Code of Ethics that is designed to address conflicts and that, among other things, imposes restrictions on the ability of the portfolio managers and other “investment access persons” to invest in securities that may be recommended or traded in the Fund and other client accounts.
To the extent a fund-of-funds invest in securities and instruments other than other Funds, the portfolio manager is subject to the potential conflicts of interest described in Potential Conflicts of Interest – Columbia Management above.
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A Fund’s portfolio manager(s) also may have other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could exist in managing the fund and other accounts. Many of the potential conflicts of interest to which the Investment Manager’s portfolio managers are subject are essentially the same or similar to the potential conflicts of interest related to the Investment Management activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
Columbia WAM: Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, a Fund’s portfolio manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the Fund and other accounts at the same time. Columbia WAM and the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of the potential conflicts that portfolio managers face in this regard. Certain of these conflicts of interest are summarized below.
The management of accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures may raise potential conflicts of interest for a portfolio manager by creating an incentive to favor higher fee accounts.
Potential conflicts of interest also may arise when a portfolio manager has personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. As a general matter and subject to the Investment Manager’s Code of Ethics and certain limited exceptions, the Investment Manager’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the funds managed by Columbia WAM.
A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those funds and/or accounts. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where funds and/or accounts managed by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.
A portfolio manager may be able to select or influence the selection of the broker/dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Funds. A portfolio manager’s decision as to the selection of broker/dealers could produce disproportionate costs and benefits among the Funds and the other accounts the portfolio manager manages.
A potential conflict of interest may arise when a portfolio manager buys or sells the same securities for a Fund and other accounts. On occasions when a portfolio manager considers the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as other accounts, Columbia WAM’s trading desk may, to the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or bought in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to a Fund or another account if a portfolio manager favors one account over another in allocating the securities bought or sold.
“Cross trades,” in which a portfolio manager sells a particular security held by a Fund to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), could involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, a portfolio manager is permitted to sell a security from one account to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay. Columbia WAM and the Funds have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between the Fund and another account managed by Columbia WAM are to be made at an independent current market price, consistent with applicable laws and regulation.
Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different investment objectives and strategies of a Fund and other accounts managed by its portfolio manager(s). Depending on another account’s objectives and other factors, a portfolio manager may give advice to and make decisions for a Fund that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to another account. A portfolio manager’s investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a portfolio manager may buy or sell a particular security for certain accounts, and not for a Fund, even though it could have been bought or sold for the Fund at the same time. A portfolio manager also may buy a particular security for one or more accounts when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when a portfolio manager’s purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts, including the Funds.
A Fund’s portfolio manager(s) also may have other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could be deemed to exist in managing both the Fund and other accounts. Many of the potential conflicts of interest to which Columbia WAM’s portfolio managers are subject are essentially the same as or similar to the potential conflicts of interest related to the investment management activities of Columbia WAM and its affiliates.
DFA: Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has the primary day-to-day responsibilities with respect to a mutual fund and other accounts. Other accounts include registered mutual funds (including proprietary mutual funds advised by DFA or its affiliates), other unregistered pooled investment vehicles, and other
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accounts managed for organizations and individuals (“Accounts”). An Account may have similar investment objectives to the Fund, or may purchase, sell or hold securities that are eligible to be purchased, sold or held by the Fund. Actual or apparent conflicts of interest include:
Time Management. The management of the Fund and other Accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Fund and/or Accounts. DFA seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Accounts managed by a portfolio manager within an investment discipline may be managed using the same investment approach.
Investment Opportunities. It is possible that at times identical securities will be held by the Fund and one or more Accounts. However, positions in the same security may vary and the length of time that the Fund may hold investments in the same security may likewise vary. If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for the Fund and one or more Accounts, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible Accounts. To address these situations, DFA has adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple Accounts.
Broker Selection. With respect to securities transactions for the Fund, DFA determines which broker to use to execute each order, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain Accounts (such as separately managed accounts), DFA may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, DFA or its affiliates may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for the Fund and another Account that may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the Fund or the Account.
Performance-Based Fees. For some Accounts, DFA may be compensated based on the profitability of the Account, such as by a performance-based management fee. These incentive compensation structures may create a conflict of interest for DFA with regard to Accounts where DFA is paid based on a percentage of assets because the portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate securities preferentially to the Accounts where DFA might share in investment gains.
Investment in an Account. A portfolio manager or his/her relatives may invest in an Account that he or she manages and a conflict may arise where he or she may therefore have an incentive to treat the Account in which the portfolio manager or his/her relatives invest preferentially as compared to other Accounts for which he or she has portfolio management responsibilities.
DFA has adopted certain compliance procedures that are reasonably designed to address these types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect every situation in which a conflict arises.
Jacobs Levy: Jacobs Levy and its investment personnel provide investment management services to multiple accounts, including the Fund’s account. The Portfolio Managers, Bruce Jacobs and Ken Levy, jointly manage all Jacobs Levy-managed accounts with the support of the firm’s other investment professionals. Providing investment management services to multiple accounts simultaneously may give rise to certain potential conflicts of interest because accounts may have investment objectives and/or strategies that are similar to or different from those of the Fund. Jacobs Levy may make investment decisions for certain accounts that are not necessarily consistent with the decisions made for other accounts. As such, performance among accounts (including the Fund’s account) may differ. Conflicts may also arise in the allocation of transactions among client accounts with different fee arrangements and accounts in which the firm or the Portfolio Managers may have an ownership or financial interest.
Jacobs Levy is entitled to be paid performance-based compensation by certain accounts it manages. Jacobs Levy’s revenue may be increased by its receipt of performance-based fees. In addition, certain client accounts may have higher asset-based fees or more favorable performance-based compensation arrangements than other accounts. Jacobs Levy and the Portfolio Managers, whose compensation is derived primarily through their equity share in Jacobs Levy, may have an incentive to favor client accounts that pay the firm performance-based compensation or higher fees.
Jacobs Levy manages a number of proprietary accounts alongside client accounts. These proprietary accounts may invest in the same securities that Jacobs Levy recommends to or buys or sells for client accounts (including the Fund’s account). Jacobs Levy typically aggregates trades for proprietary and client accounts. These proprietary accounts may have investment objectives and/or strategies which are similar to or different from those of the Fund. Jacobs Levy may make investment decisions for proprietary accounts that are not necessarily consistent with the decisions made regarding client investments (including investments for the Fund). As such, the performance of these proprietary accounts may differ from the performance of client accounts (including the Fund’s account).
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Jacobs Levy has adopted and implemented policies and procedures intended to address conflicts of interest relating to the management of multiple accounts. Jacobs Levy reviews statistical allocation reports periodically to determine whether accounts are treated, in its view, fairly. The performance of similarly managed accounts is also compared periodically to determine whether there are any unexplained significant discrepancies. In addition, Jacobs Levy has adopted procedures, which, in its view, are reasonably designed to create a fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities over time among accounts.
Jacobs Levy provides model portfolios to one or more of its clients for which Jacobs Levy does not have investment discretion. Jacobs Levy may execute trades for other clients whose accounts utilize the same investment strategy as the model(s). Since Jacobs Levy does not have discretion to execute trades for its model portfolio client(s), it is possible that trading based on the model portfolio will occur at the same or different times for Jacobs Levy’s discretionary clients and for its model portfolio client(s), and therefore that trading conducted for one client will impact the value at which the relevant securities trade for another client.
JPMIM: The potential for conflicts of interest exists when portfolio managers manage other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund (“Similar Accounts”). Potential conflicts may include, for example, conflicts between investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities.
Responsibility for managing JPMorgan’s and its affiliates’ clients’ portfolios is organized according to investment strategies within asset classes. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by portfolio managers in the same portfolio management group using the same objectives, approach and philosophy. Underlying sectors or strategy allocations within a larger portfolio are likewise managed by portfolio managers who use the same approach and philosophy as similarly managed portfolios. Therefore, portfolio holdings, relative position sizes and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios and strategies, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.
JPMorgan and/or its affiliates (“JPMorgan Chase”) perform investment services, including rendering investment advice, to varied clients. JPMorgan, JPMorgan Chase and its or their directors, officers, agents, and/or employees may render similar or differing investment advisory services to clients and may give advice or exercise investment responsibility and take such other action with respect to any of its other clients that differs from the advice given or the timing or nature of action taken with respect to another client or group of clients. It is JPMorgan’s policy, to the extent practicable, to allocate, within its reasonable discretion, investment opportunities among clients over a period of time on a fair and equitable basis. One or more of JPMorgan’s other client accounts may at any time hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose, or otherwise deal with positions in investments in which another client account may have an interest from time-to-time.
JPMorgan, JPMorgan Chase, and any of its or their directors, partners, officers, agents or employees, may also buy, sell, or trade securities for their own accounts or the proprietary accounts of JPMorgan and/or JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan and/or JPMorgan Chase, within their discretion, may make different investment decisions and other actions with respect to their own proprietary accounts than those made for client accounts, including the timing or nature of such investment decisions or actions. Further, JPMorgan is not required to purchase or sell for any client account securities that it, JPMorgan Chase, and any of its or their employees, principals, or agents may purchase or sell for their own accounts or the proprietary accounts of JPMorgan, or JPMorgan Chase or its clients.
JPMorgan and/or its affiliates may receive more compensation with respect to certain Similar Accounts than that received with respect to the Fund or may receive compensation based in part on the performance of certain Similar Accounts. This may create a potential conflict of interest for JPMorgan and its affiliates or the portfolio managers by providing an incentive to favor these Similar Accounts when, for example, placing securities transactions. In addition, JPMorgan or its affiliates could be viewed as having a conflict of interest to the extent that JPMorgan or an affiliate has a proprietary investment in Similar Accounts, the portfolio managers have personal investments in Similar Accounts or the Similar Accounts are investment options in JPMorgan’s or its affiliates’ employee benefit plans. Potential conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of investment opportunities because of market factors or investment restrictions imposed upon JPMorgan and its affiliates by law, regulation, contract or internal policies. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due to limited availability and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest, as JPMorgan or its affiliates may have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to favored accounts. Initial public offerings, in particular, are frequently of very limited availability. JPMorgan and its affiliates may be perceived as causing accounts they manage to participate in an offering to increase JPMorgan’s and its affiliates’ overall allocation of securities in that offering. A potential conflict of interest also may be perceived to arise if transactions in one account closely follow related transactions in a different account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities previously purchased by another account, or when a sale in one account lowers the sale price received in a sale by a second account. If JPMorgan or
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its affiliates manage accounts that engage in short sales of securities of the type in which the Fund invests, JPMorgan or its affiliates could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall.
As an internal policy matter, JPMorgan or its affiliates may from time to time maintain certain overall investment limitations on the securities positions or positions in other financial instruments JPMorgan or its affiliates will take on behalf of its various clients due to, among other things, liquidity concerns and regulatory restrictions. Such policies may preclude the Fund from purchasing particular securities or financial instruments, even if such securities or financial instruments would otherwise meet the Fund’s objectives.
The goal of JPMorgan and its affiliates is to meet their fiduciary obligation with respect to all clients. JPMorgan and its affiliates have policies and procedures that seek to manage conflicts. JPMorgan and its affiliates monitor a variety of areas, including compliance with fund guidelines, review of allocation decisions and compliance with JPMorgan’s Codes of Ethics and JPMorgan Chase and Co.’s Code of Conduct. With respect to the allocation of investment opportunities, JPMorgan and its affiliates also have certain policies designed to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities among its clients over time. For example: Orders for the same equity security traded through a single trading desk or system are aggregated on a continual basis throughout each trading day consistent with JPMorgan’s and its affiliates’ duty of best execution for their clients. If aggregated trades are fully executed, accounts participating in the trade will be allocated their pro rata share on an average price basis. Partially completed orders generally will be allocated among the participating accounts on a pro-rata average price basis, subject to certain limited exceptions. For example, accounts that would receive a de minimis allocation relative to their size may be excluded from the order. Another exception may occur when thin markets or price volatility require that an aggregated order be completed in multiple executions over several days. If partial completion of the order would result in an uneconomic allocation to an account due to fixed transaction or custody costs, JPMorgan and its affiliates may exclude small orders until 50% of the total order is completed. Then the small orders will be executed. Following this procedure, small orders will lag in the early execution of the order, but will be completed before completion of the total order.
Purchases of money market instruments and fixed income securities cannot always be allocated pro-rata across the accounts with the same investment strategy and objective. However, JPMIM and its affiliates attempt to mitigate any potential unfairness by basing non-pro rata allocations traded through a single trading desk or system upon objective predetermined criteria for the selection of investments and a disciplined process for allocating securities with similar duration, credit quality and liquidity in the good faith judgment of JPMIM or its affiliates so that fair and equitable allocation will occur over time.
Loomis Sayles: Conflicts of interest may arise in the allocation of investment opportunities and the allocation of aggregated orders among the Funds and other accounts managed by the portfolio managers. A portfolio manager potentially could give favorable treatment to some accounts for a variety of reasons, including favoring larger accounts, accounts that pay higher fees, accounts that pay performance-based fees, accounts of affiliated companies and accounts in which the portfolio manager has an interest. Such favorable treatment could lead to more favorable investment opportunities or allocations for some accounts. Loomis Sayles makes investment decisions for all accounts (including institutional accounts, mutual funds, hedge funds and affiliated accounts) based on each account’s availability of other comparable investment opportunities and Loomis Sayles’ desire to treat all accounts fairly and equitably over time. Loomis Sayles maintains trade allocation and aggregation policies and procedures to address these potential conflicts. Conflicts of interest also arise to the extent a portfolio manager short sells a stock in one client account but holds that stock long in other accounts, including the Funds, or sells a stock for some accounts while buying the stock for others, and through the use of “soft dollar arrangements,” which are discussed in Loomis Sayles’ Brokerage Allocation Policies and Procedures and Loomis Sayles’ Trade Aggregation and Allocation Policies and Procedures.
  Los Angeles Capital: Los Angeles Capital has implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, which the firm believes are reasonably designed to address the potential for conflicts of interest associated with managing portfolios for multiple clients and that seek to treat all clients fairly and equally over time and to mitigate conflicts among accounts. Client accounts are managed independent of one another in accordance with client specific mandates, restrictions, and instructions as outlined in the investment management agreement, and such restrictions and instructions are monitored for compliance with the client’s investment guidelines. This side-by-side management can result in investment positions or actions taken for one client account that differ from those taken in another client account. Accordingly, one client account can engage in short sales of or take a short position in an investment that at the same time is owned or being purchased long by another client account. These positions and actions can adversely affect or benefit different clients at different times.
  The firm manages client accounts have different investment strategies, objectives, restrictions, constraints, launch dates, and overlapping benchmark constituents. Given these customizations and differences, it is possible that Los Angeles Capital may
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be purchasing or holding a security for one account and simultaneously selling the same security for another account. However, simultaneously purchasing and selling the same security in the same account (“wash trades”) is prohibited. Additionally, it is possible for the Firm to purchase or sell the same security for different accounts during the same trading day but at differing execution prices. The order of account rebalances may work on some occasions to the account’s advantage or disadvantage.
  The decision as to which accounts participate in an investment opportunity will take into account, among other things, the model’s outlook on the account’s strategy, the account’s investment guidelines, and risk metrics. Furthermore, global accounts’ orders are sent to the market simultaneously subject to prevailing market conditions, client flows, and liquidity. Emerging markets account orders are aggregated during account rebalances, but the firm is not required to do so.
  Los Angeles Capital’s proprietary optimization-based technology for trading client portfolios complements the firm’s approach to stock selection and uses real-time market prices to parse the master (“parent”) order lists into a sub-list or “child” order lists, for execution by agency brokers. For accounts traded using the trade optimization technology, real-time market prices are the primary creation determinant in each child order. Therefore, names traded for one account (or group of accounts) may result in different execution prices than a name traded for another account (or group of accounts). The firm’s trade optimization technology is primarily used for U.S. market accounts. As the firm’s trade optimization trading technology is dependent upon robust and consistent market data, Los Angeles Capital does not currently utilize this technology in Developed Asia and Emerging Markets.
  While each client account is managed individually, Los Angeles Capital may, at any given time, purchase and/or sell the same security in a block that is allocated among multiple accounts. There are a number of variables that can influence a decision to aggregate purchases or sales into a block, including but not limited to, order size, liquidity, client trading directives, regulatory limitations, round lot requirements, and cash flows. The firm allocates trades that are submitted in a block prior to placing the trade with the broker. When there is decision making on whether to include or exclude certain accounts from a block transaction, there is always the potential for conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the effect of trade aggregation may work on some occasions to the account’s disadvantage. Los Angeles Capital’s policies and procedures in allocating trades are structured to treat all clients fairly. Los Angeles Capital is not required to aggregate any particular trade. For example, an account with directed brokerage may not participate in certain block trades.
  Los Angeles Capital’s portfolio managers manage accounts that are charged a performance-based fee alongside accounts in the same strategy with asset-based fee schedules. While performance-based fee arrangements may be viewed as creating an incentive to favor certain accounts over others in the allocation of investment opportunities, Los Angeles Capital has designed and implemented procedures to ensure that all clients are treated fairly and equally, and to prevent conflicts from influencing the allocation of investment opportunities. Management and performance fees inure to the benefit of the firm as a whole and not to specific individuals or groups of individuals. Further, Los Angeles Capital employs a quantitative investment process which utilizes the firm’s proprietary investment model technology to identify securities and construct portfolios.
  The firm’s strategies predominantly invest in liquid common stocks. Based on a variety of factors including the strategy, guidelines, and turnover goals, Los Angeles Capital determines the trading frequency for each account with most accounts trading at least semi-monthly and others less frequently. In a typical week, Los Angeles Capital will begin by trading its U.S. strategy accounts followed by its non-U.S. strategy accounts. An account’s rebalance cycle is dependent on the account’s strategy. Rebalances for U.S. strategy accounts are regularly rotated between traders and generally begin on the same day each week. Non-U.S. strategy account rebalances may be regularly rotated over several days. The firm’s proprietary accounts, which are invested in liquid, benchmark securities, may be traded in rotation with client accounts or on a particular day of the week depending on liquidity, size, model constraints, and resource constraints.
  Los Angeles Capital has adopted a Code of Ethics that includes procedures on ethical conduct and personal trading and requires pre-clearance authorization from both the Trading and Compliance and Regulatory Risk Departments for certain personal security transactions. Nonetheless, because the Code of Ethics in some circumstances would permit employees to invest in the same securities as clients, there is a possibility that employees might benefit from market activity by a client in a security held by an employee. Employee trading is monitored under the Code of Ethics, and is designed to reasonably identify and prevent conflicts of interest between the firm and its clients.
  Investment personnel of Los Angeles Capital or its affiliate may be permitted to be commercially or professionally involved with an issuer of securities. There is a potential risk that Los Angeles Capital personnel may place their own interests (resulting from outside employment/directorships) ahead of the interests of Los Angeles Capital clients. Before engaging in any outside business activity, employees must obtain approval of the CCO as well as other personnel. Any potential conflicts of interest from such involvement are monitored for compliance with Los Angeles Capital’s Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics also governs employees giving or accepting gifts and entertainment.
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  MFS: MFS seeks to identify potential conflicts of interest resulting from a portfolio manager’s management of both the Fund and other accounts, and has adopted policies and procedures designed to address such potential conflicts.
  The management of multiple funds and accounts (including proprietary accounts) gives rise to conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different objectives and strategies, benchmarks, time horizons and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. In certain instances there are securities which are suitable for the Fund’s portfolio as well as for accounts of MFS or its subsidiaries with similar investment objectives. MFS’ trade allocation policies may give rise to conflicts of interest if the Fund’s orders do not get fully executed or are delayed in getting executed due to being aggregated with those of other accounts of MFS or its subsidiaries. A portfolio manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments. Investments selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform investments selected for the Fund.
  When two or more clients are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed by MFS to be fair and equitable to each. Allocations may be based on many factors and may not always be pro rata based on assets managed. The allocation methodology could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Fund is concerned.
  MFS and/or a portfolio manager may have a financial incentive to allocate favorable or limited opportunity investments or structure the timing of investments to favor accounts other than the Fund, for instance, those that pay a higher advisory fee and/or have a performance adjustment and/or include an investment by the portfolio manager.
MSIM: As a diversified global financial services firm, Morgan Stanley, the parent company of MSIM, engages in a broad spectrum of activities, including financial advisory services, investment management activities, lending, commercial banking, sponsoring and managing private investment funds, engaging in broker-dealer transactions and principal securities, commodities and foreign exchange transactions, research publication and other activities. In the ordinary course of its business, Morgan Stanley is a full-service investment banking and financial services firm and therefore engages in activities where Morgan Stanley’s interests or the interests of its clients may conflict with the interests of a Fund. Morgan Stanley has advised clients and has sponsored, managed or advised other investment funds and investment programs, accounts and businesses (collectively, together with any new or successor funds, programs, accounts or businesses, the ‘‘Affiliated Investment Accounts’’) with a wide variety of investment objectives that in some instances may overlap or conflict with a Fund’s investment objectives and present conflicts of interest. In addition, Morgan Stanley may also from time to time create new or successor Affiliated Investment Accounts that may compete with a Fund and present similar conflicts of interest. The discussion below enumerates certain actual, apparent and potential conflicts of interest. There is no assurance that conflicts of interest will be resolved in favor of Fund shareholders and, in fact, they may not be. Conflicts of interest not described below may also exist.
Material Nonpublic Information. It is expected that confidential or material nonpublic information regarding an investment or potential investment opportunity may become available to MSIM. If such information becomes available, MSIM may be precluded (including by applicable law or internal policies or procedures) from pursuing an investment or disposition opportunity with respect to such investment or investment opportunity. MSIM may also from time to time be subject to contractual ‘‘standstill’’ obligations and/or confidentiality obligations that may restrict its ability to trade in certain investments on a Fund’s behalf. In addition, MSIM may be precluded from disclosing such information to an Investment team, even in circumstances in which the information would be beneficial if disclosed. Therefore, MSIM may not be provided access to material nonpublic information in the possession of Morgan Stanley that might be relevant to an investment decision to be made by a Fund, and MSIM may initiate a transaction or sell an investment that, if such information had been known to it, may not have been undertaken. In addition, certain members of the Investment team may be recused from certain investment-related discussions so that such members do not receive information that would limit their ability to perform functions of their employment with Morgan Stanley unrelated to that of a Fund. Furthermore, access to certain parts of Morgan Stanley may be subject to third party confidentiality obligations and to information barriers established by Morgan Stanley in order to manage potential conflicts of interest and regulatory restrictions, including without limitation joint transaction restrictions pursuant to the 1940 Act. Accordingly, MSIM’s ability to source investments from other business units within Morgan Stanley may be limited and there can be no assurance that MSIM will be able to source any investments from any one or more parts of the Morgan Stanley network.
Investments by Morgan Stanley and its Affiliated Investment Accounts. In serving in multiple capacities to Affiliated Investment Accounts, Morgan Stanley, including MSIM and the Investment team, may have obligations to other clients or investors in Affiliated Investment Accounts, the fulfillment of which may not be in the best interests of a Fund or its shareholders. A Fund’s investment objectives may overlap with the investment objectives of certain Affiliated Investment Accounts. As a result, the members of an Investment team may face conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities
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among a Fund and other investment funds, programs, accounts and businesses advised by or affiliated with MSIM. Certain Affiliated Investment Accounts may provide for higher management or incentive fees or greater expense reimbursements or overhead allocations, all of which may contribute to this conflict of interest and create an incentive for MSIM to favor such other accounts.
Morgan Stanley currently invests and plans to continue to invest on its own behalf and on behalf of its Affiliated Investment Accounts in a wide variety of investment opportunities in North America, Europe and elsewhere. Morgan Stanley and its Affiliated Investment Accounts, to the extent consistent with applicable law and policies and procedures, will be permitted to invest in investment opportunities without making such opportunities available to a Fund beforehand. Subject to the foregoing, Morgan Stanley may offer investments that fall into the investment objectives of an Affiliated Investment Account to such account or make such investment on its own behalf, even though such investment also falls within a Fund’s investment objectives. A Fund may invest in opportunities that Morgan Stanley and/or one or more Affiliated Investment Accounts has declined, and vice versa. All of the foregoing may reduce the number of investment opportunities available to a Fund and may create conflicts of interest in allocating investment opportunities. Investors should note that the conflicts inherent in making such allocation decisions may not always be opportunities that fall within its investment objectives.
It is possible that Morgan Stanley or an Affiliated Investment Account will invest in a company that is or becomes a competitor of a company of which a Fund holds an investment. Such investment could create a conflict between the Fund, on the one hand, and Morgan Stanley or the Affiliated Investment Account, on the other hand. In such a situation, Morgan Stanley may also have a conflict in the allocation of its own resources to the portfolio investment. Furthermore, certain Affiliated Investment Accounts will be focused primarily on investing in other funds which may have strategies that overlap and/or directly conflict and compete with a Fund.
In addition, certain investment professionals who are involved in a Fund’s activities remain responsible for the investment activities of other Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by MSIM and its affiliates, and they will devote time to the management of such investments and other newly created Affiliated Investment Accounts (whether in the form of funds, separate accounts or other vehicles), as well as their own investments. In addition, in connection with the management of investments for other Affiliated Investment Accounts, members of Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may serve on the boards of directors of or advise companies which may compete with our portfolio investments. Moreover, these Affiliated Investment Accounts managed by Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may pursue investment opportunities that may also be suitable for a Fund.
MSIM and its affiliates may give advice and recommend securities to other clients which may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, a Fund even though such other clients’ investment objectives may be similar to those of the Fund.
Morgan Stanley Trading and Principal Investing Activities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Morgan Stanley will generally conduct its sales and trading businesses, publish research and analysis, and render investment advice without regard for a Fund’s holdings, although these activities could have an adverse impact on the value of one or more of the Fund’s investments, or could cause Morgan Stanley to have an interest in one or more portfolio investments that is different from, and potentially adverse to that of a Fund. Furthermore, from time to time, MSIM or its affiliates may invest “seed” capital in a Fund, typically to enable the Fund to commence investment operations and/or achieve sufficient scale. MSIM and its affiliates may hedge such seed capital exposure by investing in derivatives or other instruments expected to produce offsetting exposure. Such hedging transactions, if any, would occur outside of a Fund.
Morgan Stanley’s sales and trading, financing and principal investing businesses (whether or not specifically identified as such, and including Morgan Stanley’s trading and principal investing businesses) will not be required to offer any investment opportunities to a Fund. These businesses may encompass, among other things, principal trading activities as well as principal investing.
Morgan Stanley’s sales and trading, financing, and principal investing businesses have acquired or invested in, and in the future may acquire or invest in, minority and/or majority control positions in equity or debt instruments of diverse public and/or private companies. Such activities may put Morgan Stanley in a position to exercise contractual, voting, or creditor rights, or management or other control with respect to securities or loans of portfolio investments or other issuers, and in these instances Morgan Stanley may, in its discretion and subject to applicable law, act to protect its own interests or interests of clients, and not a Fund’s interests.
Subject to the limitations of applicable law, a Fund may purchase from or sell assets to, or make investments in, companies in which Morgan Stanley has or may acquire an interest, including as an owner, creditor or counterparty.
Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Activities. Morgan Stanley advises clients on a variety of mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions. Morgan Stanley may act as an advisor to clients, including other investment funds that may compete with a Fund and with respect to investments that a Fund may hold. Morgan Stanley may give advice and take
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action with respect to any of its clients or proprietary accounts that may differ from the advice given, or may involve an action of a different timing or nature than the action taken, by a Fund. Morgan Stanley may give advice and provide recommendations to persons competing with a Fund and/or any of a Fund’s investments that are contrary to the Fund’s best interests and/or the best interests of any of its investments.
Morgan Stanley could be engaged in financial advising, whether on the buy-side or sell-side, or in financing or lending assignments that could result in Morgan Stanley’s determining in its discretion or being required to act exclusively on behalf of one or more third parties, which could limit a Fund’s ability to transact with respect to one or more existing or potential investments. Morgan Stanley may have relationships with third-party funds, companies or investors who may have invested in or may look to invest in portfolio companies, and there could be conflicts between a Fund’s best interests, on the one hand, and the interests of a Morgan Stanley client or counterparty, on the other hand.
To the extent that Morgan Stanley advises creditor or debtor companies in the financial restructuring of companies either prior to or after filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code or similar laws in other jurisdictions, MSIM’s flexibility in making investments in such restructurings on a Fund’s behalf may be limited.
Morgan Stanley could provide investment banking services to competitors of portfolio companies, as well as to private equity and/or private credit funds; such activities may present Morgan Stanley with a conflict of interest vis-a-vis a Fund’s investment and may also result in a conflict in respect of the allocation of investment banking resources to portfolio companies.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, Morgan Stanley may provide a broad range of financial services to companies in which a Fund invests, including strategic and financial advisory services, interim acquisition financing and other lending and underwriting or placement of securities, and Morgan Stanley generally will be paid fees (that may include warrants or other securities) for such services. Morgan Stanley will not share any of the foregoing interest, fees and other compensation received by it (including, for the avoidance of doubt, amounts received by MSIM) with a Fund, and any advisory fees payable will not be reduced thereby.
Morgan Stanley may be engaged to act as a financial advisor to a company in connection with the sale of such company, or subsidiaries or divisions thereof, may represent potential buyers of businesses through its mergers and acquisition activities and may provide lending and other related financing services in connection with such transactions. Morgan Stanley’s compensation for such activities is usually based upon realized consideration and is usually contingent, in substantial part, upon the closing of the transaction. A Fund may be precluded from participating in a transaction with or relating to the company being sold under these circumstances.
Client Relationships. Morgan Stanley has existing and potential relationships with a significant number of corporations, institutions and individuals. In providing services to its clients, Morgan Stanley may face conflicts of interest with respect to activities recommended to or performed for such clients, on the one hand, and a Fund, its shareholders or the entities in which the Fund invests, on the other hand. In addition, these client relationships may present conflicts of interest in determining whether to offer certain investment opportunities to a Fund.
In acting as principal or in providing advisory and other services to its other clients, Morgan Stanley may engage in or recommend activities with respect to a particular matter that conflict with or are different from activities engaged in or recommended by MSIM on a Fund’s behalf.
Transactions with Portfolio Companies of Affiliated Investment Accounts. The companies in which a Fund may invest may be counterparties to or participants in agreements, transactions or other arrangements with portfolio companies or other entities of portfolio investments of Affiliated Investment Accounts (for example, a company in which a Fund invests may retain a company in which an Affiliated Investment Account invests to provide services or may acquire an asset from such company or vice versa). Certain of these agreements, transactions and arrangements involve fees, servicing payments, rebates and/or other benefits to Morgan Stanley or its affiliates. For example, portfolio entities may, including at the encouragement of Morgan Stanley, enter into agreements regarding group procurement and/or vendor discounts. Morgan Stanley and its affiliates may also participate in these agreements and may realize better pricing or discounts as a result of the participation of portfolio entities. To the extent permitted by applicable law, certain of these agreements may provide for commissions or similar payments and/or discounts or rebates to be paid to a portfolio entity of an Affiliated Investment Account, and such payments or discounts or rebates may also be made directly to Morgan Stanley or its affiliates. Under these arrangements, a particular portfolio company or other entity may benefit to a greater degree than the other participants, and the Morgan Stanley funds, investment vehicles and accounts (which may or may not include a Fund) that own an interest in such entity will receive a greater relative benefit from the arrangements than the Morgan Stanley funds, investment vehicles or accounts that do not own an interest therein. Fees and compensation received by portfolio companies of Affiliated Investment Accounts in relation to the foregoing will not be shared with a Fund or offset advisory fees payable.
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Allocation of Expenses. Expenses may be incurred that are attributable to a Fund and one or more other Affiliated Investment Accounts (including in connection with issuers in which a Fund and such other Affiliated Investment Accounts have overlapping investments). The allocation of such expenses among such entities raises potential conflicts of interest. MSIM and its affiliates intend to allocate such common expenses among a Fund and any such other Affiliated Investment Accounts on a pro rata basis or in such other manner as may be required by applicable law.
Transactions with Affiliates. MSIM might purchase securities from underwriters or placement agents in which an affiliate is a member of a syndicate or selling group, as a result of which an affiliate might benefit from the purchase through receipt of a fee or otherwise. MSIM will not purchase securities on behalf of a Fund from an affiliate that is acting as a manager of a syndicate or selling group. Purchases by MSIM on behalf of a Fund from an affiliate acting as a placement agent must meet the requirements of applicable law. Furthermore, Morgan Stanley may face conflicts of interest when the Funds use service providers affiliated with Morgan Stanley because Morgan Stanley receives greater overall fees when they are used.
General Process with Potential Conflicts. All of the transactions described above involve the potential for conflicts of interest between MSIM, related persons of MSIM and/or their clients. The Advisers Act, the 1940 Act and ERISA impose certain requirements designed to decrease the possibility of conflicts of interest between an investment adviser and its clients. In some cases, transactions may be permitted subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. Certain other transactions may be prohibited. In addition, MSIM has instituted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from arising and, when they do arise, to ensure that it effects transactions for clients in a manner that is consistent with its fiduciary duty to its clients and in accordance with applicable law. MSIM seeks to ensure that potential or actual conflicts of interest are appropriately resolved taking into consideration the overriding best interests of the client.
Nuveen Asset Management: Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one account. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage multiple accounts are presented a number of potential conflicts, including, among others, those discussed below.
The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Nuveen Asset Management seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most accounts managed by a portfolio manager in a particular investment strategy are managed using the same investment models.
If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity which may be suitable for more than one account, an account may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, Nuveen Asset Management has adopted procedures for allocating limited opportunities across multiple accounts.
With respect to many of its clients’ accounts, Nuveen Asset Management determines which broker to use to execute transaction orders, consistent with its duty to seek best execution of the transaction. However, with respect to certain other accounts, Nuveen Asset Management may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker. In these cases, Nuveen Asset Management may place separate, non-simultaneous, transactions for a fund and other accounts which may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment of the fund or the other accounts.
Some clients are subject to different regulations. As a consequence of this difference in regulatory requirements, some clients may not be permitted to engage in all the investment techniques or transactions or to engage in these transactions to the same extent as the other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where Nuveen Asset Management has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of some accounts, with respect to which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.
Nuveen Asset Management has adopted certain compliance procedures which are designed to address these types of conflicts common among investment managers. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation in which a conflict arises.
SBH: SBH has adopted policies and procedures that address potential conflicts of interest that may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or other account, such as conflicts relating to the allocation of limited investment opportunities, the order of executing transactions when the aggregation of the order is not possible, personal investing activities, structure of portfolio manager compensation, conflicting investment strategies and proxy voting of portfolio securities. While there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will be effective in all cases, SBH believes that its policies and procedures and associated controls relating to potential material conflicts of interest involving the fund and its other managed funds and accounts have been reasonably designed.
  Scout: Scout and its affiliates may have proprietary interests in, and may manage or advise with respect to, accounts or funds (including separate accounts and other funds and collective investment vehicles) that have investment objectives similar to those of the Fund and/or that engage in transactions in the same types of securities and instruments as the Fund.
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  Scout has adopted policies and procedures to address the allocation of investment opportunities, the execution of portfolio transactions and other potential conflicts of interest that are designed to ensure that all clients are treated fair and equitably over time. Scout and its affiliates or their clients are or may be actively engaged in transactions in the same securities and instruments in which the Fund invests. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities and instruments in which the Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on the Fund’s performance. When Scout seeks to purchase or sell the same assets for their managed accounts, including the Fund, the assets actually purchased or sold may be allocated among the accounts on a basis determined in their good faith discretion to be equitable in accordance with Scout’s policies and procedures. In some cases, these transactions may adversely affect the size or price of the assets purchased or sold for the Fund. Further, transactions in investments by one or more other accounts or clients advised by Scout may have the effect of diluting or otherwise disadvantaging the values, prices or investment strategies of the Fund. This may occur when investment decisions regarding the Fund are based on research or other information that is also used to support decisions or advice for other accounts. When Scout or one of its other clients implements a portfolio decision or strategy on behalf of another account ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar decisions or strategies for the Fund, market impact, liquidity constraints or other factors could result in the Fund receiving less favorable trading results and the costs of implementing such decisions or strategies could be increased or the Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged. Such transactions, particularly in respect of most proprietary accounts or customer accounts, may be executed independently of the Fund’s transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by the Fund. Employees of Scout, including investment personnel, may buy and sell securities for their own personal accounts that are also bought and sold for the Fund. Scout has adopted and enforces a Code of Ethics that requires employees to follow standards of conduct when conducting these personal transactions.
  T. Rowe Price: Portfolio managers at T. Rowe Price and its affiliates may manage multiple accounts. These accounts may include, among others, mutual funds, separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of institutions such as pension funds, colleges and universities, and foundations), offshore funds and common trust funds. Portfolio managers make investment decisions for each portfolio based on the investment objectives, policies, practices, and other relevant investment considerations that the managers believe are applicable to that portfolio. Consequently, portfolio managers may purchase (or sell) securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio. T. Rowe Price and its affiliates have adopted brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures that they believe are reasonably designed to address any potential conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. Also, the portfolio managers’ compensation is determined in the same manner with respect to all portfolios managed by the portfolio manager.
  The T. Rowe Price funds may, from time to time, own shares of Morningstar, Inc. Morningstar is a provider of investment research to individual and institutional investors, and publishes ratings on mutual funds, including the T. Rowe Price funds. T. Rowe Price manages the Morningstar retirement plan and acts as subadvisor to two mutual funds offered by Morningstar. In addition, T. Rowe Price and its affiliates pay Morningstar for a variety of products and services. In addition, Morningstar may provide investment consulting and investment management services to clients of T. Rowe Price or its affiliates.
  Since the T. Rowe Price funds and other accounts have different investment objectives or strategies, potential conflicts of interest may arise in executing investment decisions or trades among client accounts. For example, if T. Rowe Price purchases a security for one account and sells the same security short for another account, such a trading pattern could disadvantage either the account that is long or short. It is possible that short sale activity could adversely affect the market value of long positions in one or more T. Rowe Price funds and other accounts (and vice versa) and create potential trading conflicts, such as when long and short positions are being executed at the same time. To mitigate these potential conflicts of interest, T. Rowe Price has implemented policies and procedures requiring trading and investment decisions to be made in accordance with T. Rowe Price’s fiduciary duties to all accounts, including the T. Rowe Price funds. Pursuant to these policies, portfolio managers are generally prohibited from managing multiple strategies where they hold the same security long in one strategy and short in another, except in certain circumstances, including where an investment oversight committee has specifically reviewed and approved the holdings or strategy. Additionally, T. Rowe Price has implemented policies and procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to ensure the fair and equitable allocation of trades, both long and short, to minimize the impact of trading activity across client accounts. T. Rowe Price monitors short sales to determine whether its procedures are working as intended and that such short sale activity is not materially impacting our trade executions and long positions for other clients.
  TCW: TCW has policies and controls to avoid and/or mitigate conflicts of interest across its businesses. The policies and procedures in TCW’s Code of Ethics (the “Code”) serve to address or mitigate both conflicts of interest and the appearance of any conflict of interest. The Code contains several restrictions and procedures designed to eliminate conflicts of interest relating to personal investment transactions, including (i) reporting account openings, changes, or closings (including accounts in which an Access Person has a "beneficial interest"), (ii) pre-clearance of non-exempt personal investment transactions (make a personal trade request for Securities) and (iii) the completion of timely required reporting (Initial Holdings Report, Quarterly Transactions Report, Annual Holdings Report and Annual Certificate of Compliance).
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  In addition, the Code addresses potential conflicts of interest through its policies on insider trading, anti-corruption, an employee’s outside business activities, political activities and contributions, confidentiality and whistleblower provisions.
  Conflicts of interest may also arise in the management of accounts and investment vehicles. These conflicts may raise questions that would allow TCW to allocate investment opportunities in a way that favors certain accounts or investment vehicles over other accounts or investment vehicles, or incentivize a TCW portfolio manager to receive greater compensation with regard to the management of certain account or investment vehicles. TCW may give advice or take action with certain accounts or investment vehicles that could differ from the advice given or action taken on other accounts or investment vehicles. When an investment opportunity is suitable for more than one account or investment vehicle, such investments will be allocated in a manner that is fair and equitable under the circumstances to all TCW clients. As such, TCW has adopted compliance policies and procedures in its Portfolio Management Policy that helps to identify a conflict of interest and then specifies how a conflict of interest is managed. TCW’s Trading and Brokerage Policy also discusses the process of timing and method of allocations, and addresses how the firm handles affiliate transactions.
  The respective Equity and Fixed Income Trading and Allocation Committees review trading activities on behalf of client accounts, including the allocation of investment opportunities and address any issues with regard to side-by-side management in order to ensure that all of TCW’s clients are treated on a fair and equitable basis. Further, the Portfolio Analytics Committee reviews TCW’s investment strategies, evaluates various analytics to facilitate risk assessment, changes to performance composites and benchmarks and monitors the implementation and maintenance of the Global Investment Performance Standards or GIPS® compliance.
  TCW’s approach to handling conflicts of interest is multi-layered starting with its policies and procedures, reporting and pre-clearance processes and oversight by various committees.
  Threadneedle: Threadneedle portfolio managers may manage one or more mutual funds as well as other types of accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts for institutions, and other pooled investment vehicles. Portfolio managers make investment decisions for an account or portfolio based on its investment objectives and policies, and other relevant investment considerations. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle whose fees may be materially greater than the management fees paid by the Fund and may include a performance-based fee. Management of multiple funds and accounts may create potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities, and the aggregation and allocation of trades. In addition, a portfolio manager’s responsibilities at Threadneedle include working as a securities analyst. This dual role may give rise to conflicts with respect to making investment decisions for accounts that he/she manages versus communicating his/her analyses to other portfolio managers concerning securities that he/she follows as an analyst.
  Threadneedle has a fiduciary responsibility to all of the clients for which it manages accounts. Threadneedle seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and to aggregate securities transactions and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. Threadneedle has developed policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the management of multiple types of accounts for multiple clients.
  Victory Capital: Victory Capital states that its portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more mutual funds as well as other accounts, such as separate accounts, and other pooled investment vehicles, such as collective trust funds or unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage other accounts which have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may, in the future, manage other accounts which have a performance-based fee. A portfolio manager also may make personal investments in accounts they manage or support. The side-by-side management of the Fund along with other accounts may raise potential conflicts of interest by incenting a portfolio manager to direct a disproportionate amount of: (1) their attention; (2) limited investment opportunities, such as less liquid securities or initial public offerings; and/or (3) desirable trade allocations, to such other accounts. In addition, certain trading practices, such as cross-trading between the Fund and another account, raise conflict of interest issues. Victory Capital has adopted numerous compliance policies and procedures, including a Code of Ethics, and brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, which seek to address the conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. In addition, Victory Capital has a designated Chief Compliance Officer (selected in accordance with the federal securities laws) and compliance staff whose activities are focused on monitoring the activities of Victory Capital's investment franchises and employees in order to detect and address potential and actual conflicts of interest. However, there can be no assurance that Victory Capital's compliance program will achieve its intended result.
  WellsCap: WellsCap’s Portfolio Managers often provide investment management for separate accounts advised in the same or similar investment style as that provided to mutual funds. While management of multiple accounts could potentially lead to conflicts of interest over various issues such as trade allocation, fee disparities and research acquisition, WellsCap has implemented policies and procedures for the express purpose of ensuring that clients are treated fairly and that potential conflicts of interest are minimized.
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  The Portfolio Managers face inherent conflicts of interest in their day-to-day management of the Funds and other accounts because the Funds may have different investment objectives, strategies and risk profiles than the other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers. For instance, to the extent that the Portfolio Managers manage accounts with different investment strategies than the Funds, they may from time to time be inclined to purchase securities, including initial public offerings, for one account but not for a Fund. Additionally, some of the accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers may have different fee structures, including performance fees, which are or have the potential to be higher or lower, in some cases significantly higher or lower, than the fees paid by the Funds. The differences in fee structures may provide an incentive to the Portfolio Managers to allocate more favorable trades to the higher-paying accounts.
  To minimize the effects of these inherent conflicts of interest, WellsCap has adopted and implemented policies and procedures, including brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures, that they believe address the potential conflicts associated with managing portfolios for multiple clients and are designed to ensure that all clients are treated fairly and equitably. Accordingly, security block purchases are allocated to all accounts with similar objectives in a fair and equitable manner. Furthermore, WellsCap has adopted a Code of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) to address potential conflicts associated with managing the Funds and any personal accounts the Portfolio Managers may maintain.
  Westfield: The simultaneous management of multiple accounts by our investment professionals creates a possible conflict of interest as they must allocate their time and investment ideas across multiple accounts. This may result in the Investment Committee or portfolio managers allocating unequal attention and time to the management of each client account as each has different objectives, benchmarks, investment restrictions and fees. For most client accounts, investment decisions are made at the Investment Committee level. Once an idea has been approved, it is implemented across all eligible and participating accounts within the strategy.
  Although the Investment Committee collectively acts as portfolio manager on most client accounts, there are some client accounts that are managed by a portfolio manager who also serves as a member of the Investment Committee. This can create a conflict of interest because investment decisions for these individually managed accounts do not require approval by the Investment Committee; thus, there is an opportunity for individually managed client accounts to trade in a security ahead of Investment Committee managed client accounts. Trade orders for individually managed accounts must be communicated to the Investment Committee. Additionally, the Compliance team performs periodic reviews of such accounts to ensure procedures have been followed.
  Westfield has clients with performance-based fee arrangements. A conflict of interest can arise between those portfolios that incorporate a performance fee and those that do not. When the same securities are recommended for both types of accounts, it is Westfield’s policy to allocate investments, on a pro-rata basis, to all participating and eligible accounts, regardless of the account’s fee structure. Our Operations team performs ongoing reviews of each product’s model portfolio versus each client account. Discrepancies are researched, and exceptions are documented.
  In placing each transaction for a client’s account, Westfield seeks best execution of that transaction except in cases where Westfield does not have the authority to select the broker or dealer, as stipulated by the client. We attempt to bundle directed brokerage accounts with non-directed accounts, and then utilize step-out trades to satisfy the directed arrangements. Clients who do not allow step-out trades generally will be executed after non-directed accounts.
  Because of our interest in receiving third party research services, there may be an incentive for Westfield to select a broker or dealer based on such interest rather than the clients’ interest in receiving most favorable execution. To mitigate the conflict that Westfield may have an incentive beyond best execution to utilize a particular broker, broker and research votes are conducted and reviewed on a quarterly basis. These votes provide the opportunity to recognize the unique research efforts of a wide variety of firms, as well as the opportunity to compare aggregate commission dollars with a particular broker to ensure appropriate correlation. Westfield’s Best Execution Committee also reviews transaction cost analysis data quarterly to monitor trading and commission activity.
  Some Westfield clients have elected to retain certain brokerage firms as consultants or to invest their assets through a broker-sponsored wrap program for which Westfield acts as a manager. Several of these firms are on our approved broker list. Since Westfield may gain new clients through such relationships and will interact closely with such firms to service the client, there may be an incentive for Westfield to select a broker or dealer based on such interest rather than the clients’ interest. To help ensure independence in the brokerage selection process, brokerage selection is handled by our Traders, while client relationships are managed by our Marketing/Client Service team.
  Personal accounts may give rise to conflicts of interest. Westfield and its employees will, from time to time, for their own investment accounts, purchase, sell, hold or own securities or other assets which may be recommended for purchase, sale or ownership for one or more clients. Westfield has a Code of Ethics which regulates trading in such accounts; requirements include regular reporting and preclearance of transactions. Compliance reviews personal trading activity regularly.
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  Westfield serves as manager to the General Partners of private funds, for which we also provide investment advisory services. Westfield and its employees have also invested their own funds in such vehicles and other investment strategies that are advised by the firm. Allowing such investments and having a financial interest in the private funds can create an incentive for the firm to favor these accounts because our financial interests are more directly tied to the performance of such accounts. To help ensure all clients are treated equitably and fairly, Westfield allocates investment opportunities on a pro-rata basis. Compliance conducts periodic reviews of client accounts to ensure procedures have been followed.
  In addition to a base salary and a performance-based bonus award, Westfield’s Marketing and Client Service team’s compensation is based on a percentage of annual revenue generated by new separate accounts and/or significant contributions to existing client accounts but excludes any sub-advised or advised mutual funds. This incentive poses a conflict in that members of the team could encourage investment in a product(s) that may not be suitable. To mitigate such risk, team members are not incentivized to sell one product versus another. Nor do they have specific sales targets. Further, Westfield’s new account process includes a review of client contracts and investment policy statements to ensure the recommended product is suitable prior to funding. Lastly, all incentive compensation is reviewed and approved by the COO and CFO.
  William Blair: Since William Blair’s portfolio managers manage other accounts in addition to the Fund, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers’ management of the Fund’s investments on the one hand and the investments of such other accounts on the other hand. The conflicts of interest that arise in managing multiple accounts include, for example, conflicts due to investment strategies, objectives, restrictions, time horizon and fees. William Blair has adopted policies and procedures designed to address such conflicts, including, among others, policies and procedures relating to allocation of investment opportunities, soft dollars and aggregation of trades. William Blair seeks to conduct itself in a manner it considers to be the most fair and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to clients, including the Fund, and make investment decisions based on an account’s investment objectives, restrictions, permitted investment techniques, available cash and other relevant considerations.
Structure of Compensation
American Century: American Century Investment Management, Inc. (“American Century”). American Century’s portfolio manager compensation is structured to align the interests of portfolio managers with those of the shareholders whose assets they manage. As of December 31, 2019, it includes the components described below, each of which is determined with reference to a number of factors such as overall performance, market competition and internal equity.
Base Salary. Portfolio managers receive base pay in the form of a fixed annual salary.
Bonus. A significant portion of portfolio manager compensation takes the form of an annual incentive bonus tied to performance of mutual funds a portfolio manager manages. Bonus payments are determined by a combination of factors. One factor is mutual fund investment performance. For most American Century mutual funds, investment performance is generally measured by a combination of one-, three- and five-year pre-tax performance relative to various benchmarks and/or internally-customized peer groups. The performance comparison periods may be adjusted based on a fund’s inception date or a portfolio manager’s tenure on the fund. Custom peer groups are constructed using all the funds in the indicated categories as a starting point. Funds are then eliminated from the peer group based on a standardized methodology designed to result in a final peer group that is both more stable over the long term (i.e., has less peer turnover) and that more closely represents the fund’s true peers based on internal investment mandates.
Portfolio managers may have responsibility for multiple American Century mutual funds. In such cases, the performance of each is assigned a percentage weight appropriate for the portfolio manager’s relative levels of responsibility.
Portfolio managers also may have responsibility for portfolios that are managed in a fashion similar to that of other American Century mutual funds. This is the case for Variable Portfolio – American Century Diversified Bond Fund. If the performance of a similarly managed account is considered for purposes of compensation, it is measured in the same way as a comparable American Century mutual fund (i.e., relative to the performance of a benchmark and/or peer group). Performance of Variable Portfolio – American Century Diversified Bond Fund is not separately considered in determining portfolio manager compensation.
A second factor in the bonus calculation relates to the performance of a number of American Century funds managed according to one of the following investment disciplines: global growth equity, global value equity, disciplined equity, global fixed income, and multi-asset strategies. Performance is measured for each product individually, as described above, and then combined to create an overall composite for the product group. These composites may measure one-year performance (equal weighted) or a combination of one-, three- and five-year performance (equal or asset weighted) depending on the portfolio manager’s responsibilities and products managed and the composite for certain portfolio managers may include
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multiple disciplines. This feature is designed to encourage effective teamwork among portfolio management teams in achieving long-term investment success for similarly styled portfolios. The American Century ETFs are not included in a product group composite.
A portion of portfolio managers’ bonuses may also be tied to management of ETFs, profitability, or individual performance goals, such as research projects and the development of new products.
Restricted Stock Plans. Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of restricted stock of ACC. These grants are discretionary, and eligibility and availability can vary from year to year. The size of an individual’s grant is determined by individual and product performance as well as other product-specific considerations such as profitability. Grants can appreciate/depreciate in value based on the performance of ACC stock during the restriction period (generally three to four years).
Deferred Compensation Plans. Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of deferred compensation. These grants are used in very limited situations, primarily for retention purposes. Grants are fixed and can appreciate/ depreciate in value based on the performance of the American Century mutual funds in which the portfolio manager chooses to invest them.
  AQR: The compensation for each of the portfolio managers that is a Principal of AQR is in the form of distributions based on the net income generated by AQR and each Principal’s relative ownership in AQR. Net income distributions are a function of assets under management and performance of the funds and accounts managed by AQR. A Principal’s relative ownership in AQR is based on cumulative research, leadership and other contributions to AQR. There is no direct linkage between assets under management, performance and compensation. However, there is an indirect linkage in that superior performance tends to attract assets and thus increase revenues. Each portfolio manager is also eligible to participate in AQR’s 401(k) retirement plan which is offered to all employees of AQR.
  BlackRock: BlackRock’s financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock.
  Base Compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.
Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager’s group within BlackRock, the investment performance, including risk-adjusted returns, of the firm’s assets under management or supervision by that portfolio manager relative to predetermined benchmarks, and the individual’s performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock. In most cases, these benchmarks are the same as the benchmark or benchmarks against which the performance of the Funds or other accounts managed by the portfolio managers are measured. Among other things, BlackRock’s Chief Investment Officers make a subjective determination with respect to each portfolio manager’s compensation based on the performance of the Funds and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager relative to the various benchmarks. Performance of fixed income funds is measured on a pre-tax and/or after-tax basis over various time periods including 1-, 3- and 5- year periods, as applicable. With respect to these portfolio managers, such benchmarks for the Fund and other accounts /are:
Portfolio Manager Benchmark
Christopher Allen Varied Euro-Based Benchmarks
Akiva Dickstein
Emanuella Enenajor
A combination of market-based indices (e.g. Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Index, Bloomberg Barclays US Universal Index and Bloomberg Barclays Intermediate Aggregate Index), certain customized indices and certain fund industry peer groups.
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Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash, deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards, and/or deferred cash awards that notionally track the return of certain BlackRock investment products.
Portfolio managers receive their annual discretionary incentive compensation in the form of cash. Portfolio managers whose total compensation is above a specified threshold also receive deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards annually as part of their discretionary incentive compensation. Paying a portion of discretionary incentive compensation in the form of deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock’s ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods. In some cases, additional deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock may be granted to certain key employees as part of a long-term incentive award to aid in retention, align interests with long-term shareholders and motivate performance. Deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that vest pursuant to the terms of the applicable plan and, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. The portfolio managers of this Fund have deferred BlackRock, Inc. stock awards.
For certain portfolio managers, a portion of the discretionary incentive compensation is also distributed in the form of deferred cash awards that notionally track the returns of select BlackRock investment products they manage, which provides direct alignment of portfolio manager discretionary incentive compensation with investment product results. Deferred cash awards vest ratably over a number of years and, once vested, settle in the form of cash. Only portfolio managers who manage specified products and whose total compensation is above a specified threshold are eligible to participate in the deferred cash award program.
Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base salary and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:
Incentive Savings Plans — BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the Internal Revenue Service limit ($280,000 for 2019). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. Mr. Dickstein and Ms. Enenajor are eligible to participate in these plans.
United Kingdom-based portfolio managers are also eligible to participate in broad-based plans offered generally to BlackRock employees, including broad-based retirement, health and other employee benefit plans. For example, BlackRock has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock employees are eligible to participate, including the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). The employer contribution to the RSP is between 6% to 15% (dependent on service related entitlement) of eligible pay capped at £150,000 per annum. The RSP offers a range of investment options, including several collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, in the absence of an investment election being made, are invested into a target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a US dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the purchase date. Mr. Allen is eligible to participate in these plans.
Sub-Subadviser BIL: For Compensation information, reference Compensation: BlackRock.
  BMO: Compensation for BMO’s portfolio managers consists of base salary, discretionary performance bonuses, and other benefits. Base salaries are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure alignment with the external market. Discretionary performance bonuses vary according to business and individual performance and are provided in a combination of cash and deferred equity-based awards for employees at higher levels of compensation. Portfolio managers also may have a long-term incentive program consisting of restricted share units or other units linked to the performance of BMO.
  CenterSquare: CenterSquare’s compensation structure is comprised of base pay and annual incentive compensation. Individuals’ packages are designed with the appropriate component combinations to match specific positions.
Base pay: salary is competitive and base pay levels link pay with performance and reflect the market value of the position, individual performance and company business results.
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Annual Cash Bonus: the annual cash bonus plan is based on individual performance, including individual contribution to meeting business unit goals, career development goals and adherence to corporate values. The annual cash bonus plan pool is computed based on the profitability of the firm.
Equity grant awards: management has reserved equity grant awards for employees based on a number of factors including exemplary performance and contributions to the company.
The current compensation structure was formulated with the intent of attracting and retaining high caliber professional employees. CenterSquare, as a fiduciary, is committed to providing the necessary resources to maintain the quality of its services for the Funds.
Columbia Management: Portfolio manager direct compensation is typically comprised of a base salary, and an annual incentive award that is paid either in the form of a cash bonus if the size of the award is under a specified threshold, or, if the size of the award is over a specified threshold, the award is paid in a combination of a cash bonus, an equity incentive award, and deferred compensation. Equity incentive awards are made in the form of Ameriprise Financial restricted stock or, for more senior employees, both Ameriprise Financial restricted stock and stock options. The investment return credited on deferred compensation is based on the performance of specified Columbia Funds, in most cases including the Columbia Funds the portfolio manager manages.
Base salary is typically determined based on market data relevant to the employee’s position, as well as other factors including internal equity. Base salaries are reviewed annually, and increases are typically given as promotional increases, internal equity adjustments, or market adjustments.
Under the Columbia Management annual incentive plan for investment professionals, awards are discretionary, and the amount of incentive awards for investment team members is variable based on (1) an evaluation of the investment performance of the investment team of which the investment professional is a member, reflecting the performance (and client experience) of the funds or accounts the investment professional manages and, if applicable, reflecting the individual’s work as an investment research analyst, (2) the results of a peer and/or management review of the individual, taking into account attributes such as team participation, investment process followed, communications, and leadership, and (3) the amount of aggregate funding of the plan determined by senior management of Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Ameriprise Financial, which takes into account Columbia Threadneedle Investments revenues and profitability, as well as Ameriprise Financial profitability, historical plan funding levels and other factors. Columbia Threadneedle Investments revenues and profitability are largely determined by assets under management. In determining the allocation of incentive compensation to investment teams, the amount of assets and related revenues managed by the team is also considered. Individual awards are subject to a comprehensive risk adjustment review process to ensure proper reflection in remuneration of adherence to our controls and Code of Conduct.
Investment performance for a fund or other account is measured using a scorecard that compares account performance against benchmarks and/or peer groups. Account performance may also be compared to unaffiliated passively managed ETFs, taking into consideration the management fees of comparable passively managed ETFs, when available and as determined by the Investment Manager. Consideration is given to relative performance over the one-, three- and five-year periods, with the largest weighting on the three-year comparison. For individuals and teams that manage multiple strategies and accounts, relative asset size is a key determinant in calculating the aggregate score, with weighting typically proportionate to actual assets. For investment leaders who have group management responsibilities, another factor in their evaluation is an assessment of the group’s overall investment performance. Exceptions to this general approach to bonuses exist for certain teams and individuals.
Equity incentive awards are designed to align participants’ interests with those of the shareholders of Ameriprise Financial. Equity incentive awards vest over multiple years, so they help retain employees.
Deferred compensation awards are designed to align participants’ interests with the investors in the Columbia Funds and other accounts they manage. The value of the deferral account is based on the performance of Columbia Funds. Employees have the option of selecting from various Columbia Funds for their deferral account, however portfolio managers must (other than by strict exception) allocate a minimum of 25% of their incentive awarded through the deferral program to the Columbia Fund(s) they manage. Deferrals vest over multiple years, so they help retain employees.
For all employees the benefit programs generally are the same and are competitive within the financial services industry. Employees participate in a wide variety of plans, including options in Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, 401(k), and a cash balance pension plan.
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Columbia Management – Tech Team: Portfolio manager compensation is typically comprised of (i) a base salary and (ii) an annual cash bonus. The annual cash bonus, and in most instances the base salary, are paid from a team compensation pool that is based on fees and performance of the accounts managed by the portfolio management team, which might include mutual funds, wrap accounts, institutional portfolios and hedge funds.
The percentage of management fees on mutual funds that fund the bonus pool is based on the short term (typically one-year) and long-term (typically three-year and five-year) performance of those accounts in relation to the relevant peer group universe.
The pool is also funded by a percentage of the management fees on long-only institutional separate accounts, that percentage being based on the source of the account in question, and by a fixed percentage of management fees on hedge funds and separately managed accounts that follow a hedge fund mandate.
The percentage of performance fees on hedge funds and separately managed accounts that follow a hedge fund mandate that fund the bonus pool is based on the absolute level of each hedge fund’s current year investment return.
For all employees the benefit programs generally are the same and are competitive within the financial services industry. Employees participate in a wide variety of plans, including options in Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, 401(k), and a cash balance pension plan.
DFA: Portfolio managers receive a base salary and bonus. Compensation of a portfolio manager is determined at the discretion of DFA and is based on a portfolio manager’s experience, responsibilities, the perception of the quality of his or her work efforts and other subjective factors. The compensation of portfolio managers is not directly based upon the performance of the mutual funds or other accounts that the portfolio managers manage. DFA reviews the compensation of each portfolio manager annually and may make modifications in compensation as it deems necessary to reflect changes in the market. Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following:
Base salary. Each portfolio manager is paid a base salary. DFA considers the factors described above to determine each portfolio manager’s base salary.
Semi-Annual Bonus. Each portfolio manager may receive a semi-annual bonus. The amount of the bonus paid to each portfolio manager is based upon the factors described above.
Portfolio managers may be awarded the right to purchase restricted shares of the stock of DFA as determined from time to time by the Board of Directors of DFA or its delegees. Portfolio managers also participate in benefit and retirement plans and other programs available generally to all employees.
In addition, portfolio managers may be given the option of participating in DFA’s Long Term Incentive Plan. The level of participation for eligible employees may be dependent on overall level of compensation, among other considerations. Participation in this program is not based on or related to the performance of any individual strategies or any particular client accounts.
Jacobs Levy: Each Portfolio Manager receives a fixed salary and a percentage of the profits of Jacobs Levy, which is based upon the Portfolio Manager’s ownership interest in the firm. Jacobs Levy’s profits are derived from the fees the firm receives from managing client accounts. For most client accounts, the firm receives a fee based upon a percentage of assets under management (the “basic fee”). For some accounts, the firm receives a fee that is adjusted based upon the performance of the account compared to a benchmark. The type of performance adjusted fee, the measurement period for the fee and the benchmark vary by client. In some cases, the basic fee is adjusted based upon the trailing returns (e.g., annualized trailing 12 quarter returns) of the account relative to an annualized benchmark return plus a specified number of basis points. In other cases, the firm receives the basic fee and a percentage of the profits in excess of a benchmark.
JPMIM: JPMorgan’s compensation programs are designed to align the behavior of employees with the achievement of its short- and long-term strategic goals, which revolve around client investment objectives. This is accomplished, in part, through a balanced performance assessment process and total compensation program, as well as a clearly defined culture that rigorously and consistently promotes adherence to the highest ethical standards.
In determining portfolio manager compensation, JPMorgan uses a balanced discretionary approach to assess performance against four broad categories: (1) business results; (2) risk and control; (3) customers and clients; and (4) people and leadership.
These performance categories consider short-, medium- and long-term goals that drive sustained value for clients, while accounting for risk and control objectives. Specifically, portfolio manager performance is evaluated against various factors including the following: (1) blended pre-tax investment performance relative to competitive indices, generally weighted more to the long-term; (2) individual contribution relative to the client’s risk/return objectives; and (3) adherence with JPMorgan’s compliance, risk and regulatory procedures.
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Feedback from JPMorgan’s risk and control professionals is considered in assessing performance.
JPMorgan maintains a balanced total compensation program comprised of a mix of fixed compensation (including a competitive base salary and, for certain employees, a fixed cash allowance), variable compensation in the form of cash incentives, and long-term incentives in the form of equity based and/or fund-tracking incentives that vest over time. Long-term awards comprise of up to 60% of overall incentive compensation, depending on an employee’s pay level.
Long-term awards are generally in the form of time-vested JPMC Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”). However, portfolio managers are subject to a mandatory deferral of long-term incentive compensation under JPMorgan’s Mandatory Investor Plan (“MIP”). The MIP provides for a rate of return equal to that of the Fund(s) that the portfolio managers manage, thereby aligning portfolio managers’ pay with that of their client’s experience/return. 100% of the portfolio managers’ long-term incentive compensation is eligible for MIP with 50% allocated to the specific Fund(s) they manage, as determined by their respective manager. The remaining portion of the overall amount is electable and may be treated as if invested in any of the other Funds available in the plan or can take the form of RSUs.
  Loomis Sayles: Loomis Sayles believes that portfolio manager compensation should be driven primarily by the delivery of consistent and superior long-term performance for its clients.
  Mr. Hamzaogullari’s compensation has four components: a competitive base salary, an annual incentive bonus driven by investment performance, participation in long-term incentive plans (annual and post-retirement payouts), and a revenue sharing bonus if certain revenue thresholds and performance hurdles are met. Maximum variable compensation potential is a multiple of base salary and reflects performance achievements relative to peers with similar disciplines. The performance review considers the asset class, manager experience, and maturity of the product. The incentive compensation is based on trailing strategy performance and is weighted at one third for the three-year period, one third for the five-year period and one third for the ten-year period. He is compensated according to the overall performance of the strategy and a portion of the revenue is delivered in compensation if certain revenue thresholds and performance hurdles are met. He also receives performance based compensation as portfolio manager for a private investment fund. The firm’s Chief Investment Officer and senior management review the components annually.
  In addition, Mr. Hamzaogullari participates in the Loomis Sayles profit sharing plan, in which Loomis Sayles makes a contribution to the retirement plan of each employee based on a percentage of base salary (up to a maximum amount). He may also participate in the Loomis Sayles deferred compensation plan which requires all employees to defer 50% of their annual bonus if in excess of a certain dollar amount, except for those employees who will be age 61 or older on the date the bonus is awarded. These amounts are deferred over a two year period with 50% being paid out one year from the bonus anniversary date and the second 50% being paid out two years from the bonus anniversary date. These deferrals are deposited into an investment account on the employee's behalf, but the employee must be here on the vesting dates in order to receive the deferred bonus.
  Los Angeles Capital: Los Angeles Capital’s portfolio managers participate in a competitive compensation program that is aimed at attracting and retaining talented employees with an emphasis on disciplined risk management, ethics and compliance-centered behavior. No component of Los Angeles Capital’s compensation policy or payment scheme is tied directly to the performance of one or more client portfolios or funds.
  Each of Los Angeles Capital’s portfolio managers receives a base salary fixed from year to year. In addition, the portfolio managers participate in Los Angeles Capital’s profit sharing plan. The aggregate amount of the contribution to Los Angeles Capital’s profit sharing plan is based on overall firm profitability with amounts paid to individual employees based on their relative overall compensation. Each of the portfolio managers also are shareholders of Los Angeles Capital and receive compensation based upon the firm’s overall profits. Certain portfolio managers are also eligible to receive a discretionary bonus from Los Angeles Capital.
  MFS: MFS’ philosophy is to align portfolio manager compensation with the goal to provide shareholders with long-term value through a collaborative investment process. Therefore, MFS uses long-term investment performance as well as contribution to the overall investment process and collaborative culture as key factors in determining portfolio manager compensation. In addition, MFS seeks to maintain total compensation programs that are competitive in the asset management industry in each geographic market where it has employees. MFS uses competitive compensation data to ensure that compensation practices are aligned with its goals of attracting, retaining, and motivating the highest-quality professionals.
  MFS reviews portfolio manager compensation annually. In determining portfolio manager compensation, MFS uses quantitative means and qualitative means to help ensure a sustainable investment process. As of December 31, 2019, portfolio manager total cash compensation is a combination of base salary and performance bonus:
  Base Salary – Base salary generally represents a smaller percentage of portfolio manager total cash compensation than performance bonus.
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  Performance Bonus – Generally, the performance bonus represents more than a majority of portfolio manager total cash compensation.
  The performance bonus is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors, generally with more weight given to the former and less weight given to the latter.
  The quantitative portion is primarily based on the pre-tax performance of accounts managed by the portfolio manager over a range of fixed-length time periods, intended to provide the ability to assess performance over time periods consistent with a full market cycle and a strategy's investment horizon. The fixed-length time periods include the portfolio manager's full tenure on each fund and, when available, ten-, five-, and three-year periods. For portfolio managers who have served for less than three years, shorter-term periods, including the one-year period, will also be considered, as will performance in previous roles, if any, held at the firm. Emphasis is generally placed on longer performance periods when multiple performance periods are available. Performance is evaluated across the full set of strategies and portfolios managed by a given portfolio manager, relative to appropriate peer group universes and/or representative indices (“benchmarks”). As of December 31, 2019, the Russell 1000® Value Index was used to measure the performance of Nevin Chitkara, Katherine Cannan and Steve Gorham for the VP – MFS Value Fund.
  Benchmarks may include versions and components of indices, custom indices, and linked indices that combine performance of different indices for different portions of the time period, where appropriate.
  The qualitative portion is based on the results of an annual internal peer review process (where portfolio managers are evaluated by other portfolio managers, analysts, and traders) and management’s assessment of overall portfolio manager contribution to the MFS investment process and the client experience (distinct from fund and other account performance).
  The performance bonus is generally a combination of cash and a deferred cash award. A deferred cash award is issued for a cash value and becomes payable over a three-year vesting period if the portfolio manager remains in the continuous employ of MFS or its affiliates. During the vesting period, the value of the unfunded deferred cash award will fluctuate as though the portfolio manager had invested the cash value of the award in an MFS Fund(s) selected by the portfolio manager.
  MFS Equity Plan – Portfolio managers also typically benefit from the opportunity to participate in the MFS Equity Plan. Equity interests are awarded by management, on a discretionary basis, taking into account tenure at MFS, contribution to the investment process, and other factors.
  Finally, portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans (including a defined contribution plan and health and other insurance plans) and programs available generally to other employees of MFS. The percentage such benefits represent of any portfolio manager’s compensation depends upon the length of the individual’s tenure at MFS and salary level, as well as other factors.
  MSIM: Morgan Stanley’s compensation structure is based on a total reward system of base salary and incentive compensation, which is paid either in the form of cash bonus, or for employees meeting the specified deferred compensation eligibility threshold, partially as a cash bonus and partially as mandatory deferred compensation. Deferred compensation granted to Investment Management employees are generally granted as a mix of deferred cash awards under the Investment Management Alignment Plan (IMAP and equity-based awards in the form of stock units. The portion of incentive compensation granted in the form of a deferred compensation award and the terms of such awards are determined annually by the Compensation, Management Development and Succession Committee of the Morgan Stanley Board of Directors.
  Base salary compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base salary compensation based on the level of their position with MSIM.
  Incentive compensation. In addition to base compensation, portfolio managers may receive discretionary year-end compensation.
  Incentive compensation may include:
Cash Bonus.
Deferred Compensation:
A mandatory program that defers a portion of incentive compensation into restricted stock units or other awards based on Morgan Stanley common stock or other plans that are subject to vesting and other conditions.
IMAP is a cash-based deferred compensation plan designed to increase the alignment of participants’ interests with the interests of the MSIM’s clients. For eligible employees, a portion of their deferred compensation is mandatorily deferred into IMAP on an annual basis. Awards granted under IMAP are notionally invested in referenced funds
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  available pursuant to the plan, which are funds advised by Investment Management. Portfolio managers are required to notionally invest a minimum of 25% of their account balance in the designated funds that they manage and are included in the IMAP notional investment fund menu.
Deferred compensation awards are typically subject to vesting over a multi-year period and are subject to cancellation through the payment date for competition, cause (i.e., any act or omission that constitutes a breach of obligation to the Company, including failure to comply with internal compliance, ethics or risk management standards, and failure or refusal to perform duties satisfactorily, including supervisory and management duties), disclosure of proprietary information, and solicitation of employees or clients. Awards are also subject to clawback through the payment date if an employee’s act or omission (including with respect to direct supervisory responsibilities) causes a restatement of the Firm’s consolidated financial results, constitutes a violation of the Firm’s global risk management principles, policies and standards, or causes a loss of revenue associated with a position on which the employee was paid and the employee operated outside of internal control policies.
Investment Management compensates employees based on principles of pay-for-performance, market competitiveness and risk management. Eligibility for, and the amount of any, discretionary compensation is subject to a multi-dimensional process. Specifically, consideration is given to one or more of the following factors, which can vary by portfolio management team and circumstances:
Revenue and profitability of the business and/or each fund/accounts managed by the portfolio manager
Revenue and profitability of the Firm
Return on equity and risk factors of both the business units and Morgan Stanley
Assets managed by the portfolio manager
External market conditions
New business development and business sustainability
Contribution to client objectives
The pre-tax investment performance of the funds/accounts managed by the portfolio manager (which may, in certain cases, be measured against the applicable benchmark(s) and/or peer group(s) over one, three and five-year periods.
Individual contribution and performance
Further, the Firm’s Global Incentive Compensation Discretion Policy requires compensation managers to consider only legitimate, business related factors when exercising discretion in determining variable incentive compensation, including adherence to Morgan Stanley’s core values, conduct, disciplinary actions in the current performance year, risk management and risk outcomes.
Nuveen Asset Management: Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of base pay, an annual cash bonus and long-term incentive payments.
Base pay. Base pay is determined based upon an analysis of the portfolio manager’s general performance, experience, and market levels of base pay for such position.
Annual cash bonus. Generally, portfolio managers are eligible for an annual cash bonus based on investment performance, qualitative evaluation and financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management.
A portion of each portfolio manager’s annual cash bonus is based on a fund’s pre-tax investment performance, generally measured over the past one- and three- or five-year periods unless the portfolio manager’s tenure is shorter. Investment performance for a fund generally is determined by evaluating the fund’s performance relative to its benchmark(s) and/or Lipper industry peer group.
A portion of the cash bonus is based on a qualitative evaluation made by each portfolio manager’s supervisor taking into consideration a number of factors, including the portfolio manager’s team collaboration, expense management, support of personnel responsible for asset growth, and his or her compliance with Nuveen Asset Management’s policies and procedures.
The final factor influencing a portfolio manager’s cash bonus is the financial performance of Nuveen Asset Management based on its operating earnings.
Long-term incentive compensation. Certain key employees of Nuveen Asset Management, including certain portfolio managers, have received profits interests in Nuveen Asset Management which entitle their holders to participate in the firm’s growth over time.
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SBH: The following information outlines the compensation and bonus structure for investment professionals.
Competitive Compensation and Incentive Program. The program is structured to attract and retain superior investment talent and to align the teams' incentives with client interests. Compensation for investment professionals generally consists of base salary, incentive bonus, profit sharing, as well as possible equity ownership in the firm. Investment professionals are also eligible for a performance-based bonus (incentive compensation), which emphasizes the long-term performance of client portfolios and expands/contracts with strategy revenue. Importantly, this compensation is based on the performance of the aggregate portfolio and not the performance of the individual investment professional. Individual incentive allocation is merit-based and determined by the portfolio manager, with final approval from the CEO.
Equity Ownership. A unique aspect of the firm's compensation program is the offering of equity ownership. Eligible employees include those who create long-term value for the firm and its clients. The firm believes this is a key competitive differentiator in the ability to attract and retain superior talent.
Scout: Scout Investments implements a strategic and comprehensive compensation plan for its portfolio managers that is competitive and considerate of industry standards. The basic compensation structure combines a base salary supplemented with a variable bonus plan that has the potential to exceed base salary.
Scout Investments places a strong emphasis on portfolio performance and believes the portfolio manager’s compensation should be a reflection of the success provided to clients of Scout Investments. This philosophy is the basis for offering an overall compensation structure in which performance-based compensation can exceed base salary, providing the greatest incentive to align investment management to the client’s success.
The bonus plan incorporates the investment performance of the management team and a subjective component based on several factors including growth in assets under management.
Investment performance is evaluated on a 1-year and 3-year time frame based on multiple factors. Initially, performance is judged against a fund’s benchmark index for performance comparison purposes, as identified in the prospectus. Additionally, performance is measured relative to the median investment manager performance in the strategy’s discipline according to Lipper.
In addition to the above, in order to attract and retain key talent, Scout Investments employs a long-term incentive plan that awards qualified associates with restricted investments.
T. Rowe Price: Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of a base salary, a cash bonus, and an equity incentive that usually comes in the form of restricted stock grants. Compensation is variable and is determined based on the following factors.
Investment performance over 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods is the most important input. The weightings for these time periods are generally balanced and are applied consistently across similar strategies. T. Rowe Price (and T. Rowe Price Hong Kong, T. Rowe Price Singapore, T. Rowe Price Japan, and T. Rowe Price International, as appropriate), evaluates performance in absolute, relative, and risk-adjusted terms. Relative performance and risk-adjusted performance are typically determined with reference to the broad-based index (e.g., S&P 500 Index) and the Lipper average or index (e.g., Large-Cap Growth Index) set forth in the total returns table in the fund’s prospectus, although other benchmarks may be used as well. Investment results are also measured against comparably managed funds of competitive investment management firms. The selection of comparable funds is approved by the applicable investment steering committee and is the same as the selection presented to the directors of the T. Rowe Price funds in their regular review of fund performance. Performance is primarily measured on a pretax basis although tax efficiency is considered.
Compensation is viewed with a long-term time horizon. The more consistent a manager’s performance over time, the higher the compensation opportunity. The increase or decrease in a fund’s assets due to the purchase or sale of fund shares is not considered a material factor. In reviewing relative performance for fixed-income funds, a fund’s expense ratio is usually taken into account. Contribution to T. Rowe Price’s overall investment process is an important consideration as well. Leveraging ideas and investment insights across the global investment platform, working effectively with and mentoring others, and other contributions to our clients, the firm or our culture are important components of T. Rowe Price’s long-term success and are generally taken into consideration.
All employees of T. Rowe Price, including portfolio managers, participate in a 401(k) plan sponsored by T. Rowe Price Group. In addition, all employees are eligible to purchase T. Rowe Price common stock through an employee stock purchase plan that features a limited corporate matching contribution. Eligibility for and participation in these plans is on the same basis for all employees. Finally, all vice presidents of T. Rowe Price Group, including all portfolio managers, receive supplemental medical/hospital reimbursement benefits and are eligible to participate in a supplemental savings plan sponsored by T. Rowe Price Group.
This compensation structure is used when evaluating the performance of all portfolios managed by the portfolio manager.
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TCW: The overall objective of TCW’s compensation program for portfolio managers is to attract experienced and expert investment professionals and to retain them over the long-term. Compensation is comprised of several components which, in the aggregate, are designed to achieve these objectives and to reward the portfolio managers for their contributions to the successful performance of the accounts they manage. Portfolio managers are compensated through a combination of base salary, fee sharing based compensation (“fee sharing”), bonus and equity incentive participation in TCW’s parent company (“equity incentives”). Fee sharing and equity incentives generally represent most of the portfolio managers’ compensation. In some cases, portfolio managers are eligible for discretionary bonuses.
Salary. Salary is agreed to with portfolio managers at the time of employment and is reviewed from time to time. It does not change significantly and often does not constitute a significant part of a portfolio manager’s compensation.
Fee Sharing. Fee sharing for investment professionals is based on revenues generated by accounts in the investment strategy area for which the investment professionals are responsible. In most cases, revenues are allocated to a pool and fee sharing compensation is allocated among members of the investment team after the deduction of certain expenses (including compensation over a threshold level) related to the strategy group. The allocations are based on the investment professionals’ contribution to TCW and its clients, including qualitative and quantitative contributions.
In general, the same fee sharing percentage is used to compensate a portfolio manager for investment services related to a Fund is generally the same as that used to compensate portfolio managers for other client accounts in the same strategy managed by TCW or an affiliate of TCW (collectively, “the TCW Group”). In some cases, the fee sharing pool includes revenues related to more than one product, in which case each participant in the pool is entitled to fee sharing derived from his or her contributions to all the included products.
Investment professionals are not directly compensated for generating performance fees. In some cases, the overall fee sharing pool is subject to fluctuation based on the relative pre-tax performance of the investment strategy composite returns, net of fees and expenses, to that of the benchmark. The measurement of performance relative to the benchmark can be based on single year or multiple year metrics, or a combination thereof. The benchmark used is the one associated with the Fund managed by the portfolio manager as disclosed in the prospectus. Benchmarks vary from strategy to strategy but, within a given strategy, the same benchmark applies to all accounts, including the Funds.
Discretionary Bonus/Guaranteed Minimums. Discretionary bonuses may be paid out of an investment team’s fee sharing pool, as determined by the supervisor(s) in the department. In other cases where portfolio managers do not receive fee sharing or where it is determined that the combination of salary and fee sharing does not adequately compensate the portfolio manager, discretionary bonuses may be paid by the applicable TCW entity. Also, pursuant to contractual arrangements, some portfolio managers received minimum bonuses.
Equity Incentives. Management believes that equity ownership aligns the interests of portfolio managers with the interests of the firm and its clients. Accordingly, TCW Group’s key investment professionals participate in equity incentives through ownership or participation in restricted unit plans that vest over time or unit appreciation plans of TCW’s parent company. The plans include the Fixed Income Retention Plan, Restricted Unit Plan and 2013 Equity Unit Incentive Plan.
Under the Fixed Income Retention Plan, certain portfolio managers in the fixed income area were awarded cash and/or partnership units in TCW’s parent company, either on a contractually-determined basis or on a discretionary basis. Awards under this plan were made in 2010 that vest over time.
Under the Restricted Unit Plan, certain portfolio managers in the fixed income and equity areas may be awarded partnership units in TCW’s parent company. Awards under this plan have vested over time, subject to satisfaction of performance criteria.
Under the 2013 Equity Unit Incentive Plan, certain portfolio managers in the fixed income and equity areas may be awarded options to acquire partnership units in TCW’s parent company with a strike price equal to the fair market value of the option at the date of grant. The options granted under this plan are subject to vesting and other conditions.
Other Plans and Compensation Vehicles. Portfolio managers may also elect to participate in the applicable TCW Group’s 401(k) plan, to which they may contribute a portion of their pre- and post-tax compensation to the plan for investment on a tax-deferred basis.
  Threadneedle: Direct compensation is typically comprised of a base salary, a fixed role-based allowance paid monthly alongside salary and an annual incentive award that is paid either in the form of a cash bonus if the size of the award is under a specified threshold or, if the size of the award is over a specified threshold, the award is paid in a combination of a cash bonus, an equity incentive award, and fund-linked deferred compensation compliant with European regulatory requirements in its structure and delivery vehicles. Equity incentive awards are made in the form of Ameriprise Financial
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  restricted stock, or for senior employees outside our fund management teams both Ameriprise Financial restricted stock and stock options. The investment return credited on deferred compensation is based on the performance of specified Threadneedle funds, in most cases including the funds the portfolio manager manages.
  Base salary is typically determined based on market data relevant to the employee’s position, as well as other factors including internal equity. Base salaries are reviewed annually, and increases are typically given as promotional increases, internal equity adjustments, or market adjustments.
  Annual incentive awards and pool funding are variable and are designed to reward:
Investment performance, both at the individual and team levels
Client requirements, in particular the alignment with clients through a mandatory deferral into the company’s own products, compliant with local regulation in particular the UCITS V requirements
Team cooperation and values
Individual awards are subject to a comprehensive risk adjustment review process to ensure proper reflection in remuneration of adherence to Threadneedle’s controls and Code of Conduct.
Scorecards are used to measure performance of Threadneedle funds and other accounts managed by the employee. Performance is measured versus peer or benchmark performance as appropriate, in addition to performance compared to unaffiliated passively managed ETFs, taking into consideration the management fees of comparable passively managed ETFs, when available and as determined by the Investment Manager. Performance is measured using 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year performance, weighted 10% on the 1-year, 60% on the 3-year, and 30% on the 5-year. Consideration may also be given to performance in managing client assets in sectors and industries assigned to the employee as part of his/her investment team responsibilities, where applicable.
Incentive compensation for senior investment professionals is subject to a minimum 40% deferral as required by local regulation, rising to 60% for higher awards. Half of that deferred portion is delivered in units linked to the performance of Threadneedle funds and the remainder through Ameriprise Financial equity plans.
The equity portion of those deferred incentive awards is designed to align participants’ interests with those of the shareholders of Ameriprise Financial. Equity incentive awards vest over multiple years, so they help retain employees.
The fund-linked deferred compensation awards are designed to align participants’ interests with the investors in the funds and other accounts they manage, and to incentivize collaboration and idea-sharing across teams and products. The value of the deferral account is based on the performance of those funds. Employees have the option of selecting from various internal funds for their fund deferral account; a portion of this deferral is subject to mandatory allocation to Threadneedle’s multi-asset funds to drive cross-business idea sharing and alignment. Fund-linked deferrals vest over multiple years, so they help to retain employees and to align their longer-term interests with those of the investor in line with local regulatory best practice.
Exceptions to this general approach to bonuses exist for certain teams and individuals. Funding for the bonus pool is determined by management and overseen by the EMEA Remuneration Committee, and depends on, among other factors, the levels of compensation generally in the investment management industry taking into account investment performance (based on market compensation data) and both Ameriprise Financial and the asset management business profitability for the year, which is largely determined by assets under management.
For all employees the benefit programs generally are the same and are competitive within the Financial Services Industry. Employees participate in a wide variety of plans, including options in Medical, Health Care, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, and retirement savings plans.
Victory Capital: Victory Capital states that it has designed the structure of its portfolio managers’ compensation to (1) align portfolio managers’ interests with those of Victory Capital’s clients with an emphasis on long-term, risk-adjusted investment performance, (2) help Victory Capital attract and retain high-quality investment professionals, and (3) contribute to Victory Capital’s overall financial success.
Each of the Victory Capital portfolio managers receives a base salary plus an annual incentive bonus for managing the Fund, separate accounts, other investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts (including any accounts for which Victory Capital receives a performance fee) (together, “Accounts”). Victory Capital states that a portfolio manager’s base salary is dependent on the manager’s level of experience and expertise. Victory Capital states that it monitors each manager’s base salary relative to salaries paid for similar positions with peer firms by reviewing data provided by various consultants that specialize in competitive salary information. Such data, however, is not considered to be a definitive benchmark. Each of the portfolio management teams employed by Victory Capital may earn incentive compensation based on a percentage of Victory Capital’s revenue attributable to fees paid by Accounts managed by the team. The chief
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investment officer of each team, in coordination with Victory Capital, determines the allocation of the incentive compensation earned by the team among the team’s portfolio managers by establishing a “target” incentive for each portfolio manager based on the manager’s level of experience and expertise in the manager’s investment style. Individual performance is based on objectives established annually using performance metrics such as portfolio structure and positioning, research, stock selection, asset growth, client retention, presentation skills, marketing to prospective clients and contribution to Victory Capital’s philosophy and values, such as leadership, risk management and teamwork. The annual incentive bonus also factors in individual investment performance of each portfolio manager’s portfolio or their Fund relative to a selected peer group(s). The overall performance results for a manager are based on the composite performance of all Accounts managed by that manager on a combination of one, three and five year rolling performance periods as compared to the performance information of a peer group of similarly-managed competitors.
Victory Capital states that its portfolio managers may participate in the equity ownership plan of Victory Capital’s parent company. There is an ongoing annual equity pool granted to certain employees based on their contribution to the firm. Eligibility for participation in these incentive programs depends on the manager’s performance and seniority.
WellsCap: The compensation structure for WellsCap's Portfolio Managers includes a competitive fixed base salary plus variable incentives, payable annually and over a longer term period. WellsCap participates in third party investment management compensation surveys for market-based compensation information to help support individual pay decisions. In addition to surveys, WellsCap also considers prior professional experience, tenure, seniority and a Portfolio Manager's team size, scope and assets under management when determining his/her fixed base salary. In addition, Portfolio Managers, who meet the eligibility requirements, may participate in Wells Fargo's 401(k) plan that features a limited matching contribution. Eligibility for and participation in this plan is on the same basis for all employees.
WellsCap’s investment incentive program plays an important role in aligning the interests of our portfolio managers, investment team members, clients and shareholders. Incentive awards for portfolio managers are determined based on a review of relative investment and business/team performance. Investment performance is generally evaluated for 1, 3, and 5 year performance results, with a predominant weighting on the 3- and 5- year time periods, versus the relevant benchmarks and/or peer groups consistent with the investment style. In the case of each Fund, the benchmark(s) against which the performance of the Fund's portfolio may be compared for these purposes generally are indicated in the "Average Annual Total Returns" table in the prospectus. Once determined, incentives are awarded to portfolio managers annually, with a portion awarded as annual cash and a portion awarded as long term incentive. The long term portion of incentives generally carry a pro-rated vesting schedule over a three year period. For many of our portfolio managers, WellsCap further requires a portion of their annual long-term award be allocated directly into each strategy they manage through a deferred compensation vehicle. In addition, our investment team members who are eligible for long term awards also have the opportunity to invest up to 100% of their awards into investment strategies they support (through a deferred compensation vehicle).
Westfield: Members of Westfield’s Investment Committee (the “Investment Committee”) may be eligible to receive various components of compensation.
Investment Committee members receive a base salary commensurate with industry standards. This salary is reviewed annually during the employee’s performance assessment.
Investment Committee members also receive a performance based bonus award. This bonus award is determined and paid in December. The amount awarded is based on the employee’s individual performance attribution and overall contribution to the investment performance of Westfield. While the current calendar year is a primary focus, a rolling three year attribution summary is also considered when determining the bonus award.
Investment Committee members may be eligible to receive equity interests in the future profits of Westfield. Individual awards are typically determined by a member’s overall performance within the firm, including but not limited to contribution to company strategy, participation in marketing and client service initiatives, as well as longevity at the firm. The key members of Westfield’s management team who received equity interests in the firm enter into agreements restricting post-employment competition and solicitation of clients and employees of Westfield. This compensation is in addition to the base salary and performance based bonus. Equity interest grants typically vest over five years.
Investment Committee members may receive a portion of the performance-based fee earned from an account that is managed solely by Mr. Muggia. He has full discretion to grant such awards to any member of the Investment Committee.
  William Blair: The compensation of William Blair’s portfolio managers is based on the firm’s mission: “to achieve success for its clients.” Messrs. Fennell and McAtamney are partners of William Blair, and as of December 31, 2019, compensation for partners of William Blair consists of a fixed base salary, a share of the firm’s profits and, in some instances, a discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus as well as any potential changes to the partners’ ownership stakes are determined by the head of William Blair’s Investment Management Department, subject to the approval of William Blair’s
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  Executive Committee and are based entirely on a qualitative assessment rather than a formula. The discretionary bonus rewards the specific accomplishments in the prior year, including short-term and long-term investment performance, quality of research ideas, and other contributions to William Blair and its clients. Changes in ownership stake are based on an individual’s sustained, multi-year contribution to long-term investment performance, and to William Blair’s revenue, profitability, intellectual capital and brand reputation. The compensation process is a subjective one that takes into account the factors described above. Portfolio managers do not receive any direct compensation based upon the performance of any individual client account and no indices are used to measure performance. In addition, there is no particular weighting or formula for evaluating the factors.
The Administrator
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (which is also the Investment Manager) serves as administrator of the Funds.
The Distributor
Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor), 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial and an affiliate of the Investment Manager, serves as the principal underwriter and distributor for the continuous offering of shares of the Funds pursuant to a Distribution Agreement. The Distribution Agreement obligates the Distributor to use reasonable efforts to find purchasers for the shares of the Funds.
Distribution Obligations
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent, sells shares of the Funds on a continuous basis and transmits purchase and redemption orders that it receives to the Trust or the Transfer Agent, or their designated agents. Additionally, the Distributor has agreed to use reasonable efforts to solicit orders for the sale of shares and to undertake advertising and promotion as it believes appropriate in connection with such solicitation. Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, at its own expense, finances those activities as it deems reasonable and which are primarily intended to result in the sale of shares of the Funds, including, but not limited to, advertising, compensation of underwriters, dealers and sales personnel, the printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than existing shareholders, and the printing and mailing of sales literature. The Distributor, however, may be compensated or reimbursed for all or a portion of such expenses to the extent permitted by a Distribution Plan adopted by the Trust pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. See Investment Management and Other Services – Distribution and/or Servicing Plans for more information about the share classes for which the Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan.
See Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information about conflicts of interest, including those that relate to the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
The Distribution Agreement became effective with respect to each Fund after approval by its Board, and, after an initial two-year period, continues from year to year, provided that such continuation of the Distribution Agreement is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including its Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable with respect to each Fund at any time without penalty by the Trust (by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund) or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice.
Underwriting Commissions Paid by the Funds
As no class of any Fund is subject to a sales charge, there were no sales charges paid to, or retained by, the Distributor for the three most recently completed fiscal years.
Distribution and/or Servicing Plans
The Trustees have adopted distribution and/or shareholder servicing plans for certain share classes. See the cover of this SAI for the share classes offered by the Funds.
The table below shows the annual distribution and/or services fees (payable monthly and calculated based on an annual percentage of average daily net assets) and the combined amount of such fees applicable to each share class. VP – Core Equity Fund does not pay a fee for these services. The Trust is not aware as to what amount, if any, of the distribution and service fees paid to the Distributor were, on a Fund-by-Fund basis, used for advertising, printing and mailing of prospectuses to other than current shareholders, compensation to broker-dealers, compensation to sales personnel, or interest, carrying or other financing charges.
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Share Class Distribution Fee Service Fee Combined Total
Class 1 None None None
Class 2 Up to 0.25% 0.00% Up to 0.25%
Class 3 Up to 0.125% 0.00% Up to 0.125%
Class 4 Up to 0.25% 0.00% Up to 0.25%
The distribution and/or shareholder service fees for Class 2, Class 3 and Class 4 shares, as applicable, are to reimburse the Distributor for certain expenses it incurs in connection with distributing the Fund’s shares or directly or indirectly providing services to Fund shareholders. These payments or expenses include providing distribution and/or shareholder service fees to financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund or provide services to Fund shareholders. The Distributor may retain these fees otherwise payable to financial intermediaries if the amounts due are below an amount determined by the Distributor in its discretion. The maximum fee for services under the plan for series of CFVST II is the lesser of the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement (including any unreimbursed expenses) and the rate set forth in the table above. If the flat rate exceeds the expenses eligible for reimbursement, then the maximum Rule 12b-1 fee amount accrued for such share class is applied on a going forward basis to reflect the actual amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement for the prior quarter. Similarly, if the flat rate is less than expenses eligible for reimbursement, then the flat rate will be the maximum Rule 12b-1 fee amount on a going forward basis. This determination and calculation is re-applied each subsequent quarter.
The Funds pay a non-Rule 12b-1 service fee to Participating Insurance Companies or other financial intermediaries that provide sub-recordkeeping and other services to Contract owners, Qualified Plan participants and the Separate Accounts.
Fees Paid
The table below shows the distribution and/or servicing fees paid by each Fund, other than VP – Core Equity Fund, during the Fund's last fiscal year (or period).
Rule 12b-1 Fees
Fund Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – Aggressive Portfolio N/A $3,465,794 N/A $2,816,481
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund N/A 39,574 N/A N/A
VP – Balanced Fund N/A 9 $1,355,977 N/A
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund N/A 46,750 118,283 N/A
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund N/A 70,486 N/A N/A
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund N/A 39,496 N/A N/A
VP – Conservative Portfolio N/A 1,205,188 N/A 1,420,220
VP – Disciplined Core Fund N/A 88,590 1,533,629 N/A
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund N/A 183,981 997,702 N/A
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund N/A 404,428 N/A N/A
VP – Emerging Markets Fund N/A 122,800 233,263 N/A
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund N/A 25,397 129,766 N/A
VP – Government Money Market Fund N/A 158,941 243,578 N/A
VP – High Yield Bond Fund N/A 160,152 355,953 N/A
VP – Income Opportunities Fund N/A 87,642 186,543 N/A
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund N/A 112,491 658,695 N/A
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund N/A 308,917 275,465 N/A
VP – Large Cap Index Fund N/A 27,243 663,163 N/A
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund N/A 126,778 N/A N/A
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund N/A 128,323 N/A N/A
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund N/A 33,223 N/A N/A
VP – MFS Value Fund N/A 136,163 N/A N/A
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Fund Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund N/A $61,857 $325,988 N/A
VP – Moderate Portfolio N/A 19,598,998 N/A $23,043,761
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio N/A 10,503,229 N/A 9,148,336
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio N/A 3,490,542 N/A 3,973,353
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund N/A 44,373 N/A N/A
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund N/A 36,755,431 N/A N/A
VP – Overseas Core Fund N/A 140,504 303,677 N/A
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund N/A 25,629 N/A N/A
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund N/A 25,998 41,091 N/A
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund N/A 19,314 N/A N/A
VP – Partners International Growth Fund N/A 82,433 N/A N/A
VP – Partners International Value Fund N/A 54,655 N/A N/A
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund N/A 25,189 N/A N/A
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund N/A 19,407 119,219 N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund N/A 7 N/A N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund N/A 71,889 66,843 N/A
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund N/A 76,700 84,425 N/A
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund N/A 65,759 68,065 N/A
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund N/A 114,926 N/A N/A
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund N/A 59,626 N/A N/A
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund N/A 24,290 N/A N/A
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund N/A 60,770 122,615 N/A
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund N/A 119,213 77,540 N/A
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund N/A 70,586 N/A N/A
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund N/A 56,838 N/A N/A
Other Services Provided
The Transfer Agent
Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. is the transfer agent for the Funds. The Transfer Agent is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110. Under the Shareholder Services Agreement, the Transfer Agent provides transfer agency, dividend disbursing agency and shareholder servicing agency services to the Funds.
The Transfer Agent may retain as compensation for its services revenues for fees for wire, telephone and redemption orders, account transcripts due the Transfer Agent from Fund shareholders and interest (net of bank charges) earned with respect to balances in accounts the Transfer Agent maintains in connection with its services to the Funds. The fees paid to the Transfer Agent may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.
The Transfer Agent retains DST, 2000 Crown Colony Drive, Quincy, MA 02169 as the Funds’ sub-transfer agent. DST assists the Transfer Agent in carrying out its duties.
Under the Shareholder Services Agreement, the Funds bear a service fee paid to Participating Insurance Companies and other financial intermediaries that provide shareholder services with respect to Contracts, Qualified Plans or other owners of Fund shares. For more information on this service fee, see Other Practices – Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments.
Prior to July 1, 2017, the Funds paid the Transfer Agent a fee equal to 0.06% of the net assets of the Funds, with certain exceptions: VP – Core Equity Fund did not pay a direct fee for transfer agency services; VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund and the VP – Portfolio Navigator Funds then in operation did not pay a direct fee for transfer agency services on the portion of assets invested in underlying funds that paid a transfer agency fee to the Transfer Agent; however, the Transfer Agent earned a fee from such Funds equal to 0.06% of their average daily net assets directly invested in securities (other than underlying mutual funds
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that paid a transfer agency fee to the Transfer Agent), including other funds that did not pay a transfer agency fee to the Transfer Agent, ETFs, derivatives and individual securities. As of July 1, 2017, or the date of the Fund’s commencement of operations, if later, each of VP – Core Equity Fund, VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund and the VP – Portfolio Navigator Funds bear the service fee.
The Custodian
The Funds' securities and cash are held pursuant to a custodian agreement with JPMorgan, 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10005. JPMorgan is responsible for safeguarding the Funds' cash and securities, receiving and delivering securities and collecting the Funds' interest and dividends. The custodian is permitted to deposit some or all of its securities in central depository systems as allowed by federal law. For its services, each Fund pays its custodian a maintenance charge and a charge per transaction in addition to reimbursing the custodian’s out-of-pocket expenses.
As part of this arrangement, securities purchased outside the United States are maintained in the custody of various foreign branches of JPMorgan or in other financial institutions as permitted by law and by the Funds' custodian agreement.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
PwC, which is located at 45 South Seventh Street, Suite 3400, Minneapolis, MN 55402, is the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm. The financial statements contained in each Fund’s Annual Report were audited by PwC. The Board has selected PwC as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Funds' books and review their tax returns for their respective fiscal years.
The Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the audited financial statements included in the annual report to shareholders of each Fund incorporated by reference into the Funds' prospectuses and this SAI have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, given on its authority as an expert in auditing and accounting. No other parts of the annual or semiannual reports to shareholders are incorporated by reference herein.
Counsel
Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP serves as counsel to the Independent Trustees of the Trust. Its address is 1177 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. Seward & Kissel LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust. Its address is 901 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Expense Limitations
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse certain expenses, subject to certain exclusions described in a Fund’s prospectus, so that certain Funds’ net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed specified rates for specified time periods, also as described in a Fund’s prospectus.
The table below shows the total Fund level expenses reimbursed by the Investment Manager and its affiliates for the last three fiscal periods.
Expenses Reimbursed
  Amounts Reimbursed
  2019 2018 2017
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – Aggressive Portfolio $45,084 $0 $0
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund 0 0 0
VP – Balanced Fund 299,030 348,036 285,453
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 113,940 104,233 117,830
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund 0 0 0
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund 0 0 0
VP – Conservative Portfolio 0 30,349 0
VP – Core Equity Fund 95,774 89,679 104,879
VP – Disciplined Core Fund 0 0 0
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund 248,805 95,533 0
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund 0 0 0
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  Amounts Reimbursed
  2019 2018 2017
VP – Emerging Markets Fund $231,499 $14,894 $93,744
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund 321,838 268,853 259,620
VP – Government Money Market Fund 422,904 527,207 156,567
VP – High Yield Bond Fund 289,812 104,632 4,486
VP – Income Opportunities Fund 208,907 49,400 0
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund 0 0 0
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund 0 0 138,527
VP – Large Cap Index Fund 0 0 0
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund 46,807 0 0
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 0 0 0
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 0 0 0
VP – MFS Value Fund 0 0 0
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund 771,597 730,049 764,057
VP – Moderate Portfolio 0 0 0
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 0 0 0
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio 249,739 92,397 0
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 0 0 0
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund 0 0 0
VP – Overseas Core Fund 0 0 102,181
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund 0 0 0
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund 238,968 193,950 15,574
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund 0 0 0
VP – Partners International Growth Fund 117,879 0 0
VP – Partners International Value Fund 0 0 0
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 63,773 58,245 0
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund 36,475 20,827 0
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund 608,660 404,618(a) N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund 13,093 0 101,722
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund 177,558 110,229 128,245
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund 144,870 156,773 156,295
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund 182,453 50,702 103,560
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 0 0 0
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 0 0 0
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 0 0 0
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 0 0 112
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 0 0 0
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 0 18,547 0
(a) For the period from January 4, 2018 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2018.
Fees Waived
There were no fees waived for the relevant fiscal periods for any of the Funds.
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Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and Its Affiliates —
Certain Conflicts of Interest
As described above in the Investment Management and Other Services section of this SAI, and in the More Information About the Fund – Primary Service Providers section of each Fund's prospectus, the Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, all affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, receive compensation from the Funds for the various services they provide to the Funds. Additional information as to the specific terms regarding such compensation is set forth in these affiliated service providers’ contracts with the Funds, each of which typically is included as an exhibit to Part C of each Fund's registration statement.
In many instances, the compensation paid to the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for the services they provide to the Funds is based, in some manner, on the size of the Funds' assets under management. As the size of the Funds' assets under management grows, so does the amount of compensation paid to the Investment Manager and, as the case may be, other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for providing services to the Funds. This relationship between Fund assets and any affiliated service provider compensation may create economic and other conflicts of interests of which Fund investors should be aware. These potential conflicts of interest, as well as additional ones, are discussed in detail below and also are addressed in other disclosure materials, including the Funds' prospectuses. Many of these conflicts of interest also are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials of Ameriprise Financial affiliates that make available or offer the Columbia Funds as investments in connection with their respective products and services. In addition, Parts 1A and 2A of the Investment Manager’s Form ADV, which it must file with the SEC as an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, provide information about the Investment Manager’s business, assets under management, affiliates and potential conflicts of interest. Parts 1A and 2A of the Investment Manager’s Form ADV are available online through the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
The Board monitors events to identify any material conflicts that may arise between the interests of the Participating Insurance Companies or between the interests of owners of variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies, or participants in Qualified Plans. The Trust currently does not foresee any disadvantages to the owners of variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies or participants in Qualified Plans arising from the fact that certain interests of owners may differ.
Additional actual or potential conflicts of interest and certain investment activity limitations that could affect the Funds may arise from the financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including, for example, the investment advisory/management services provided for clients and customers other than the Funds. Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates are engaged in a wide range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. The broad range of financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies, that may be bought, sold or held by the Funds. The following describes certain actual and potential conflicts of interest that may be presented.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to the Investment Advisory/Management Activities of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates in Connection With Other Advised/Managed Funds and Accounts
The Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may advise or manage funds and accounts other than the Funds. In this regard, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may provide investment advisory/management and other services to other advised/managed funds and accounts that are similar to those provided to the Funds. The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial’s other investment adviser affiliates (including, for example, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC) will give investment advice to and make investment decisions for advised/managed funds and accounts, including the Funds, as they believe to be in that fund’s and/or account’s best interests, consistent with their fiduciary duties. The Funds and the other advised/managed funds and accounts of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates are separately and potentially divergently managed, and there is no assurance that any investment advice Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates give to other advised/managed funds and accounts will also be given simultaneously or otherwise to the Funds.
A variety of other actual and potential conflicts of interest may arise from the advisory relationships of the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates with other clients and customers. Advice given to the Funds and/or investment decisions made for the Funds by the Investment Manager or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may differ from, or may conflict with, advice given to and/or investment decisions made by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for other advised/managed funds and accounts. As a result, the performance of the Funds may differ from the performance of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. Similarly, a position taken by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, on behalf of other funds or accounts may be contrary to a position taken on behalf of the Funds. Moreover, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, may take a position on behalf of other advised/managed funds and accounts, or for their own proprietary accounts, that is adverse to companies or other issuers in
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which the Funds are invested. For example, the Funds may hold equity securities of a company while another advised/managed fund or account may hold debt securities of the same company. If the portfolio company were to experience financial difficulties, it might be in the best interest of the Funds for the company to reorganize while the interests of the other advised/managed fund or account might be better served by the liquidation of the company. This type of conflict of interest could arise as the result of circumstances that cannot be generally foreseen within the broad range of investment advisory/management activities in which Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates engage.
Investment transactions made on behalf of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates also may have a negative effect on the value, price or investment strategies of the Funds. For example, this could occur if another advised/managed fund or account implements an investment decision ahead of, or at the same time as, the Funds and causes the Funds to experience less favorable trading results than they otherwise would have experienced based on market liquidity factors. In addition, the other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, including the other Columbia Funds and accounts of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may have the same or very similar investment objective and strategies as the Funds. In this situation, the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and/or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may create conflicts of interest especially where, for example, limited investment availability is involved. The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures designed to address the allocation of investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and accounts advised by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – The Investment Manager and Subadvisers – Portfolio Managers – Potential Conflicts of Interest.
Sharing of Information among Advised/Managed Accounts
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, also may possess information that could be material to the management of a Fund and may not be able to, or may determine not to, share that information with the Fund, even though the information might be beneficial to the Fund. This information may include actual knowledge regarding the particular investments and transactions of other advised/managed funds and accounts, as well as proprietary investment, trading and other market research, analytical and technical models, and new investment techniques, strategies and opportunities. Depending on the context, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates generally will have no obligation to share any such information with the Funds. In general, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the portfolio managers of the Investment Manager, will make investment decisions without regard to information otherwise known by other employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and generally will have no obligation to access any such information and may, in some instances, not be able to access such information because of legal and regulatory constraints or the internal policies and procedures of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. For example, if the Investment Manager or another Ameriprise Financial affiliate, or their respective employees, come into possession of non-public information regarding another advised/managed fund or account, they may be prohibited by legal and regulatory constraints, or internal policies and procedures, from using that information in connection with transactions made on behalf of the Funds. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – The Investment Manager and Subadvisers – Portfolio Managers – Potential Conflicts of Interest.
Conflicts of Interest Relating to Long/Short Funds’ Published Research on Short Positions and Other Published Research or Views
Certain long/short funds managed by the Investment Manager may accumulate a short position in the equity of a specific issuer (including entering into derivatives that reference the equity of an issuer), and following the accumulation of the position, the investment team managing such funds may publish research or make a public announcement of their research findings, which could be perceived by investors as reasons to reevaluate the target issuer, possibly in ways that result in a generally negative change in sentiment toward the issuer. These public announcements may disclose findings of, among other things, questionable accounting or suspect business practices. Subject to regulatory limitations, the investment team managing the long/short funds anticipate sharing such research or research findings with other investment advisory personnel of the Investment Manager, its U.S. affiliates and non-U.S. affiliates (collectively, “Advisory Affiliates”) that own the equity of the target issuer prior to publication. The accounts managed by the investment team publishing the research report or making a public announcement as well as accounts managed by Advisory Affiliates may have a long, neutral or short position in such target issuer’s stock or other securities and instruments; in addition, accounts managed by Advisory Affiliates may have different opinions concerning such target issuer than those expressed in the published research or research findings. Furthermore, accounts managed by the investment team publishing the research report or making a public announcement as well as accounts managed by Advisory Affiliates may trade in the same securities or instruments of the target issuer at the same time, in the same or opposite direction or in a different sequence as the long/short funds that hold a short position in the issuer that is the subject of the published research report or public announcement. To the extent that client accounts begin to sell any long positions or establish short positions in the subject issuer, the long/short funds may benefit from that activity.
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From time to time, a portfolio manager, analyst, or other employee of the Investment Manager or its affiliates may express views regarding a particular asset class, company, security, industry, or market sector. The views expressed by any such person are the views of only that individual as of the time expressed and do not necessarily represent the views of the Investment Manager or its affiliates or any other person within the Investment Manager or its affiliates. Any such views are subject to change at any time based upon market or other conditions, and the Investment Manager and its affiliates disclaim any responsibility to update such views. These views may not be relied on as investment advice and, because investment decisions for a Fund are based on numerous factors, may not be relied on as an indication of any trading intent on behalf of the Fund.
Soft Dollar Benefits
Certain products and services, commonly referred to as “soft dollar services” (including, to the extent permitted by law, research reports, economic and financial data, financial publications, proxy analysis, computer databases and other research-oriented materials), that the Investment Manager may receive in connection with brokerage services provided to a Fund may have the inadvertent effect of disproportionately benefiting other advised/managed funds or accounts. This could happen because of the relative amount of brokerage services provided to a Fund as compared to other advised/managed funds or accounts, as well as the relative compensation paid by a Fund. It is possible that the Investment Manager or an investment subadviser subject to the recent revisions to the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive ("MiFID II") will cause a Fund to pay for research services with soft dollars in circumstances where it may not use soft dollars with respect to other advised/managed funds or accounts, although those other advised/managed funds or accounts might nonetheless benefit from those research services.
Services Provided to Other Advised/Managed Accounts
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent, also may act as an investment adviser, investment manager, administrator, transfer agent, custodian, trustee, broker-dealer, agent, or in another capacity, for advised/managed funds and accounts other than the Funds, and may receive compensation for acting in such capacity. This compensation that the Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates receive could be greater than the compensation Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates receive for acting in the same or similar capacity for the Funds. In addition, the Investment Manager, Distributor and Transfer Agent and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may receive other benefits, including enhancement of new or existing business relationships. This compensation and/or the benefits that Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may receive from other advised/managed funds and accounts and other relationships could potentially create incentives to favor other advised/managed funds and accounts over the Funds. Trades made by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates for the Funds may be, but are not required to be, aggregated with trades made for other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. If trades are aggregated among the Funds and those other funds and accounts, the various prices of the securities being traded may be averaged, which could have the potential effect of disadvantaging the Funds as compared to the other funds and accounts with which trades were aggregated.
Proxy Voting
The Investment Manager has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures that are designed to provide that all proxy voting is done in the best economic interests of its clients, including the Funds, without regard to any resulting benefit or detriment to the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Although the Investment Manager endeavors to make all proxy voting decisions with respect to the interests of the Funds for which it is responsible in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, the Investment Manager’s proxy voting decisions with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities may or may not benefit Ameriprise Financial or other affiliates of the Investment Manager or other advised/managed funds and accounts, and/or clients, of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. For more information about the Funds' proxy voting policies and procedures, see Investment Management and Other Services – Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.
Certain Trading Activities
The directors/trustees, officers and employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts, and in doing so may take a position that is adverse to the Funds. In order to reduce the possibility that such personal investment activities of the directors/trustees, officers and employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates will materially adversely affect the Funds, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates have adopted policies and procedures, and the Funds, the Board, the Investment Manager and the Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics that addresses such personal investment activities. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – Codes of Ethics.
Affiliate Transactions
Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, a Fund may enter into transactions in which Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates, or companies that are deemed to be affiliates of a Fund because of, among other factors, their or their affiliates’ ownership or control of shares of the Fund, may have an interest that potentially conflicts with the interests of the Fund. For
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example, an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial may sell securities to a Fund from an offering in which it is an underwriter or that it owns as a dealer, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Applicable legal and regulatory requirements also may prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions with an affiliate of the Fund, which may include Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, or from participating in an investment opportunity in which an affiliate of a Fund participates.
Certain Investment Limitations
Regulatory and other restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment activities in various ways. For example, certain securities may be subject to ownership limitations due to regulatory limits on investments in certain industries (such as, for example, banking and insurance) and markets (such as emerging or international markets), or certain transactions (such as those involving certain derivatives or other instruments) or mechanisms imposed by certain issuers (such as, among others, poison pills). Certain of these restrictions may impose limits on the aggregate amount of investments that may be made by affiliated investors in the aggregate or in individual issuers. In these circumstances, the Investment Manager may be prevented from acquiring securities for a Fund (that it might otherwise prefer to acquire) if the acquisition would cause the Fund and its affiliated investors to exceed an applicable limit. These types of regulatory and other applicable limits are complex and vary significantly in different contexts including, among others, from country to country, industry to industry and issuer to issuer. The Investment Manager has policies and procedures designed to monitor and interpret these limits. Nonetheless, given the complexity of these limits, the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may inadvertently breach these limits, and a Fund may therefore be required to sell securities that it might otherwise prefer to hold in order to comply with such limits. In addition, aggregate ownership limitations could cause performance dispersion among funds and accounts managed by the Investment Manager with similar investment objectives and strategies and portfolio management teams. For example, if further purchases in an issuer are restricted due to regulatory or other reasons, a portfolio manager would not be able to acquire securities or other assets of an issuer for a new Fund that may already be held by other funds and accounts with the same/similar investment objectives and strategies that are managed by the same portfolio management team. The Investment Manager may also choose to limit purchases in an issuer to a certain threshold for risk management purposes. If the holdings of the Investment Manager’s affiliates are included in that limitation, a Fund may be more limited in its ability to purchase a particular security or other asset than if the holdings of the Investment Manager’s affiliates had been excluded from the limitation. At certain times, a Fund may be restricted in its investment activities because of relationships that an affiliate of the Fund, which may include Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may have with the issuers of securities. This could happen, for example, if a Fund desired to buy a security issued by a company for which Ameriprise Financial or an affiliate serves as underwriter. A Fund may also be limited in certain investments because Ameriprise Financial, a financial holding company, is subject to certain banking regulatory requirements which may in some cases apply to the Investment Manager’s investments for the funds and accounts, including the Funds, it manages. In any of these scenarios, a Fund’s inability to participate (or participate further) in a particular investment, despite a portfolio manager’s desire to so participate, may negatively impact Fund performance. The internal policies and procedures of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates covering these types of restrictions and addressing similar issues also may at times restrict a Fund’s investment activities. See also About Fund Investments – Certain Investment Activity Limits.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates’ Non-Advisory Relationships with Clients and Customers other than the Funds
The financial relationships that Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may have with companies and other entities in which a Fund may invest can give rise to actual and potential conflicts of interest. Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, a Fund may invest (a) in the securities of Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates and/or in companies in which Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates have an equity, debt or other interest, and/or (b) in the securities of companies held by other Columbia Funds. The purchase, holding and sale of such securities by a Fund may enhance the profitability and the business interests of Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates and/or other Columbia Funds. There also may be limitations as to the sharing with the Investment Manager of information derived from the non-investment advisory/management activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates because of legal and regulatory constraints and internal policies and procedures (such as information barriers and ethical walls). Because of these limitations, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates generally will not share information derived from its non-investment advisory/management activities with the Investment Manager.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Ameriprise Financial Affiliates’ Marketing and Use of the Columbia Funds as Investment Options
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may utilize the Columbia Funds as investment options. For example, the Columbia Funds may be offered as investments in connection with brokerage and other securities products offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and may be utilized as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, as well as for other Columbia Funds structured as “funds-of-funds.” The use of the Columbia Funds in connection with other products and
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services offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest. These conflicts of interest are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials for the other products and services offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, may, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, make payments to their affiliates in connection with the promotion and sale of the Funds' shares, in addition to the sales-related and other compensation that these parties may receive from the Funds, if any. As a general matter, personnel of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates do not receive compensation in connection with their sales or use of the Funds that is greater than that paid in connection with their sales of other comparable products and services. Nonetheless, because the compensation that the Investment Manager and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may receive for providing services to the Funds is generally based on the Funds' assets under management and those assets will grow as shares of the Funds are sold, potential conflicts of interest may exist. See Other Practices – Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments and Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries for more information.
Actual or Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Affiliated Indexes
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may develop, own and operate stock market and other indexes (each, an Affiliated Index) based on investment and trading strategies developed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates (Affiliated Index Strategies). Some of the ETFs for which Columbia Management acts as investment adviser (the Affiliated Index ETFs) seek to track the performance of the Affiliated Indexes. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may, from time to time, manage other funds or accounts that invest in these Affiliated Index ETFs. In the future, the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may manage client accounts that track the same Affiliated Indexes used by the Affiliated Index ETFs or which are based on the same, or substantially similar, Affiliated Index Strategies that are used in the operation of the Affiliated Indexes and the Affiliated Index ETFs. The operation of the Affiliated Indexes, the Affiliated Index ETFs and other accounts managed in this manner may give rise to potential conflicts of interest.
For example, any accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates that seek to track the same Affiliated Indexes may engage in purchases and sales of securities at different times. These differences may result in certain accounts having more favorable performance relative to that of the Affiliated Index or other accounts that seek to track the Affiliated Index. Other potential conflicts include (i) the potential for unauthorized access to Affiliated Index information, allowing Affiliated Index changes that benefit the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates or other accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates and not the clients in the accounts seeking to track the Affiliated Index, and (ii) the manipulation of Affiliated Index pricing to present the performance of accounts seeking to track the Affiliated Index, or the firm’s tracking ability, in a preferential light.
The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to address potential conflicts that may arise in connection with the operation of the Affiliated Indexes, the Affiliated Index ETFs and other accounts.
To the extent it is intended that an account managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates seeks to track an Affiliated Index, the account may not match (performance or holdings), and may vary substantially from, such index for any period of time. An account that seeks to track an index may purchase, hold and sell securities at times when another client would not do so. The Investment Manager and its affiliates do not guarantee that any tracking error targets will be achieved. Accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates that seek to track an index may be negatively impacted by errors in the index, either as a result of calculation errors, inaccurate data sources or otherwise. The Investment Manager and its affiliates do not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy and/or completeness of an index and are not responsible for errors, omissions or interruptions in the index (including when the Investment Manager or an affiliate acts as the index provider) or the calculation thereof (including when the Investment Manager or an affiliate acts as the calculation agent).
The Investment Manager and its affiliates are not obligated to license the Affiliated Indexes to clients or other third-parties.
Codes of Ethics
The Funds, the Investment Manager, the subadvisers and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act, including Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These Codes of Ethics permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be bought or held by the Funds. These Codes of Ethics are included as exhibits to Part C of the Funds' registration statement. These Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of these Codes of Ethics may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
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Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
General. The Funds have delegated to the Investment Manager the responsibility to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds, including Funds managed by subadvisers. In deciding to delegate this responsibility to the Investment Manager, the Board reviewed the policies adopted by the Investment Manager. These included the procedures that the Investment Manager follows when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Funds and their shareholders and the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
The Investment Manager’s policy is to vote all proxies for Fund securities in a manner considered by the Investment Manager to be in the best economic interests of its clients, including the Funds, without regard to any benefit or detriment to the Investment Manager, its employees or its affiliates. The best economic interests of clients is defined for this purpose as the interest of enhancing or protecting the value of client accounts, considered as a group rather than individually, as the Investment Manager determines in its discretion. The Investment Manager endeavors to vote all proxies of which it becomes aware prior to the vote deadline; provided, however, that in certain circumstances the Investment Manager may refrain from voting securities. For instance, the Investment Manager may refrain from voting foreign securities if it determines that the costs of voting outweigh the expected benefits of voting and typically will not vote securities if voting would impose trading restrictions.
The Board may, in its discretion, vote proxies for the Funds. For instance, the Board may determine to vote on matters that may present a material conflict of interest to the Investment Manager.
Oversight. The operation of the Investment Manager’s proxy voting policy and procedures is overseen by a committee (the Proxy Voting Committee) composed of representatives of the Investment Manager’s equity investments, equity research, responsible investment, compliance, legal and operations functions. The Proxy Voting Committee has the responsibility to review, at least annually, the Investment Manager’s proxy voting policies to ensure consistency with internal policies, regulatory requirements, conflicts of interest and client disclosures. The Board reviews on an annual basis, or more frequently as determined appropriate, the Investment Manager’s administration of the proxy voting process.
Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting Principles (the Principles). The Investment Manager has adopted the Principles, which set out the Investment Manager’s views on key issues and the broad principles shaping its approach, as well as the types of related voting action the Investment Manager may take. The Principles also provide indicative examples of key guidelines used in any given region, which illustrate the standards against which voting decisions are considered. The Investment Manager has developed voting stances that align with the Principles and will generally vote in accordance with such voting stances. The Proxy Voting Committee or investment professionals may determine to vote differently from the voting stances on particular proposals in the event it determines that doing so is in the clients’ best economic interests. The Investment Manager may also consider the voting recommendations of analysts, portfolio managers, subadvisers and information obtained from outside resources, including one or more third party research providers. When proposals are not covered by the voting stances or a voting determination must be made on a case-by-case basis, a portfolio manager, subadviser or analyst will make the voting determination based on his or her determination of the clients’ best economic interests; provided, however, for securities held in Funds managed in traditional index or certain quantitative strategies and not in any other fund or account managed by the Investment Manager, proxies will generally be voted in accordance with the recommendation of a third party research provider if the proposal is not covered by a voting stance or a voting determination must be made on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the Proxy Voting Committee may determine proxy votes when proposals require special consideration.
Addressing Conflicts of Interest. The Investment Manager seeks to address potential material conflicts of interest by voting in accordance with predetermined voting stances. In addition, if the Investment Manager determines that a material conflict of interest exists, the Investment Manager will invoke one or more of the following conflict management practices: (i) causing the proxies to be voted in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party (which may be the Investment Manager’s proxy voting administrator or research provider); (ii) causing the proxies to be delegated to an independent third party (which may be the Investment Manager’s proxy voting administrator or research provider); and (iii) in infrequent cases, forwarding the proxies to an Independent Trustee authorized to vote the proxies for the Funds. A member of the Proxy Voting Committee is prohibited from voting on any proposal for which he or she has a conflict of interest by reason of a direct relationship with the issuer or other party affected by a given proposal. Persons making recommendations to the Proxy Voting Committee or its members are required to disclose to the committee any relationship with a party making a proposal or other matter known to the person that would create a potential conflict of interest.
Voting Proxies of Affiliated Underlying Funds. Certain Funds may invest in shares of other Columbia Funds (referred to in this context as “underlying funds”) and may own substantial portions of these underlying funds. If such Funds are in a master-feeder structure, the feeder fund will either seek instructions from its shareholders with regard to the voting of proxies with respect to the master fund’s shares and vote such proxies in accordance with such instructions or vote the shares held by it in the same
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proportion as the vote of all other master fund shareholders. With respect to Funds that hold shares of underlying funds other than in a master-feeder structure, the holding Funds will typically vote proxies of the underlying funds in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the underlying fund’s shares, unless the Board otherwise instructs.
Proxy Voting Agents. The Investment Manager has retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., a third-party vendor, as its proxy voting administrator to implement its proxy voting process and to provide recordkeeping and vote disclosure services. The Investment Manager has retained both Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Company, LLC to provide proxy research services.
Additional Information. Information regarding how the Columbia Funds (except certain Columbia Funds that do not invest in voting securities) voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 will be available by August 31 of this year free of charge: (i) through the Columbia Funds’ website at columbiathreadneedleus.com and/or (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. For a copy of the Investment Manager’s Principles in effect on the date of this SAI, see Appendix B to this SAI.
Organization and Management of Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund (for purposes of this section, referred to as a “Fund”) may invest a portion of its assets, within the limitations of Subchapter M and Section 817(h) of the Code, as applicable, in one or more of its wholly-owned subsidiaries (previously defined collectively as the “Subsidiary”). The Subsidiary is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands, whose registered office is located at P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman Islands.
The Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors and is not registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, does not have all of the protections offered by the 1940 Act to shareholders of investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. However, the Subsidiary is wholly-owned and controlled by the Fund and the Fund’s Board of Trustees oversees the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. The Investment Manager and the Fund’s subadvisers are responsible for the Subsidiary’s day-to-day business pursuant to their separate agreements with, or in respect of, the Subsidiary. The following individuals serve as a director of the Subsidiary:
Name, address, year of birth Position held with Subsidiary
and length of service
Principal occupation during past five years
Jonathan C. Cleasby
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1977
Director since
March 2020
Vice President, Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
since March 2020
Christopher O. Petersen
5228 Ameriprise
Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474-2405
Born 1970
Director since
January 2015
See Fund Governance – Fund Officers.
The Subsidiary has entered into a separate management agreement for the provision of advisory and administrative services with the Investment Manager. Under this agreement, the Investment Manager provides the Subsidiary with the same type of management services, under the same terms, as are provided to the Fund. The Subsidiary pays the Investment Manager an annual fee for its management services, as set forth in the management agreement and the table below.
Management Agreement Fee Schedule
Subsidiary Assets
(millions)
Annual rate at
each asset level(a)
CVPCSF Offshore Fund, Ltd.
(Subsidiary of VP – Commodity Strategy Fund)
$0 - $500 0.630%
>$500 - $1,000 0.580%
>$1,000 - $3,000 0.550%
>$3,000 - $6,000 0.520%
>$6,000 - $12,000 0.500%
>$12,000 0.490%
(a) When calculating asset levels for purposes of determining fee rate breakpoints, asset levels are based on aggregate net assets of the Fund and the Parent Fund. When calculating the fee payable under this agreement, the annual rates are based on a percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
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The Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract for the provision of custody services with the same service providers who provide those services to the Fund. The Subsidiary has also entered into arrangements with PwC to serve as the Subsidiary’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Subsidiary bears the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services that it receives pursuant to each of these separate agreements and arrangements. The Fund expects that the expenses borne by the Subsidiary will not be material in relation of the value of the Fund’s assets.
For purposes of adhering to the Fund’s compliance policies and procedures, the Investment Manager treats the assets of the Subsidiary as if the assets were held directly by the Fund. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund makes periodic reports to the Fund’s Board regarding the management and operations of the Subsidiary.
The financial information of the Subsidiary is consolidated into the Fund’s financial statements, as contained within the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports provided to shareholders.
By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are subject to the same risks that would apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is subject to the same principal risks to which the Fund is subject (as described in the Fund’s prospectus). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, except as otherwise noted, is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Investment Manager, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. In managing the Subsidiary’s investment portfolio, the Investment Manager manages the Subsidiary’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.
The Investment Manager and any subadviser, if applicable, as it relates to the Subsidiary, complies with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts under Section 15 as an investment adviser to the Fund under Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act. The Fund complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act, including those relating to investment policies (Section 8) and capital structure and leverage (Section 18) on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary, and the Subsidiary complies with the provisions relating to affiliated transactions and custody (Section 17).
Changes in the laws of the United States and/or the Cayman Islands, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as described in the applicable prospectus and this SAI and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders. For example, the Cayman Islands laws currently do not impose any income, corporate or capital gains tax, estate duty, inheritance tax, gift tax or withholding tax on the Subsidiary. If Cayman Islands law were changed and the Subsidiary was required to pay Cayman Islands taxes, the investment returns of the Fund would likely decrease.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs under the Code, the Fund must satisfy a 90% gross income requirement and an asset diversification requirement. These requirements are not applicable to the Subsidiary. The Fund and the Subsidiary will take steps to ensure that income recognized by the Fund in respect of the Subsidiary will be qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement. For purposes of the asset diversification requirement, the Fund will limit its investment in the Subsidiary in the aggregate to 25% or less of the Fund’s total assets as of the end of every quarter of its taxable year; the asset diversification requirement applies to the Fund’s interest in the Subsidiary but not to the Subsidiary’s investments. Please refer to the Taxation – The Subsidiary section for further information about certain tax considerations relating to the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary.
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FUND GOVERNANCE
Board of Trustees and Officers
The Board oversees the Funds' operations and appoints officers who are responsible for day-to-day business decisions based on policies set by the Board. The following table provides basic biographical information about the Funds' Trustees as of the date of this SAI, including their principal occupations during the past five years, although specific titles for individuals may have varied over the period. Under current Board policy, Trustees not affiliated with the Investment Manager generally may serve through the end of the calendar year in which they reach the mandatory retirement age established by the Board.
Trustees
Independent Trustees
Name, Address,
Year of Birth
Position Held
with the Trust and Length of Service
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
and Other Relevant
Professional Experience
Number of
Funds in the
Columbia Funds Complex
Overseen
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years Committee
Assignments
George S. Batejan
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1953
Trustee since 1/17 Executive Vice President, Global Head of Technology and Operations, Janus Capital Group, Inc., 2010-2016 117 Former Chairman of the Board, NICSA (National Investment Company Services Association) (Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Governance Committee), 2014-2016; former Director, Intech Investment Management, 2011-2016; former Board Member, Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, 2015-2016; former Advisory Board Member, University of Colorado Business School, 2015-2018 Compliance, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
Kathleen Blatz
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1954
Trustee since 1/06 for RiverSource Funds and since 6/11 for Nations Funds Attorney, specializing in arbitration and mediation; Chief Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1998-2006; Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1996-1998; Fourth Judicial District Court Judge, Hennepin County, 1994-1996; Attorney in private practice and public service, 1984-1993; State Representative, Minnesota House of Representatives, 1979-1993, which included service on the Tax and Financial Institutions and Insurance Committees; Member and Interim Chair, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, January -July 2017; Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (health care insurance), February-July 2018 117 Trustee, BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota since 2009 (Chair of the Business Development Committee 2014-2017; Chair of the Governance Committee since 2017); Chair of the Robina Foundation since August 2013; former Member and Chair of the Board, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, January 2017-July 2017 Board Governance, Compliance, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
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Name, Address,
Year of Birth
Position Held
with the Trust and Length of Service
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
and Other Relevant
Professional Experience
Number of
Funds in the
Columbia Funds Complex
Overseen
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years Committee
Assignments
Pamela G. Carlton
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1954
Trustee since 7/07 for RiverSource Funds and since 6/11 for Nations Funds President, Springboard- Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership (consulting company) since 2003; Managing Director of US Equity Research, JP Morgan Chase, 1999-2003; Director of US Equity Research, Chase Asset Management, 1996- 1999; Co-Director Latin America Research, 1993-1996, COO Global Research, 1992-1996, Co-Director of US Research, 1991-1992, Investment Banker, Morgan Stanley, 1982-1991 117 Trustee, New York Presbyterian Hospital Board (Executive Committee and Chair of Human Resources Committee) since 1996; Director, DR Bank (Audit Committee) since 2017; Director, Evercore Inc. (Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee) since 2019 Audit, Board Governance, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
Patricia M. Flynn
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1950
Trustee since 11/04 for RiverSource Funds and since 6/11 for Nations Funds Trustee Professor of Economics and Management, Bentley University since 1976 (also teaches and conducts research on corporate governance); Dean, McCallum Graduate School of Business, Bentley University, 1992-2002 117 Trustee, MA Taxpayers Foundation since 1997; Board of Governors, Innovation Institute, MA Technology Collaborative since 2010; Board of Directors, The MA Business Roundtable 2003-2019 Audit, Board Governance, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
Brian J. Gallagher
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1954
Trustee since 12/17 Retired; Partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP and its predecessors, 1977-2016 117 Trustee, Catholic Schools Foundation since 2004 Audit, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
Catherine James Paglia
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1952
Chair of the Board since 1/20; Trustee since 11/04 for RiverSource Funds and since 6/11 for Nations Funds Director, Enterprise Asset Management, Inc. (private real estate and asset management company) since September 1998; Managing Director and Partner, Interlaken Capital, Inc., 1989-1997; Managing Director, Morgan Stanley, 1982-1989; Vice President, Investment Banking, 1980-1982, Associate, Investment Banking, 1976-1980, Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. 117 Director, Valmont Industries, Inc. (irrigation systems manufacturer) since 2012; Trustee, Carleton College (on the Investment Committee); Trustee, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (on the Investment Committee) Board Governance, Compliance, Contracts, Executive, Investment Review
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Name, Address,
Year of Birth
Position Held
with the Trust and Length of Service
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
and Other Relevant
Professional Experience
Number of
Funds in the
Columbia Funds Complex
Overseen
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years Committee
Assignments
Anthony M. Santomero
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1946
Trustee since 6/11 for RiverSource Funds and since 1/08 for Nations Funds Richard K. Mellon Professor Emeritus of Finance, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, since 2002; Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Company (consulting), 2006-2008; President, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 2000-2006; Professor of Finance, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 1972-2002 117 Trustee, Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company since March 2008; Director, Renaissance Reinsurance Ltd. since May 2008; former Director, Citigroup Inc. and Citibank, N.A., 2009-2019; former Trustee, BofA Funds Series Trust (11 funds), 2008-2011 Audit, Board Governance, Contracts, Investment Review
Minor M. Shaw
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1947
Trustee since 6/11 for RiverSource Funds and since 2003 for Nations Funds President, Micco LLC (private investments) since 2011; President, Micco Corp. (family investment business), 1998-2011 117 Director, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina since April 2008; Trustee, Hollingsworth Funds since 2016 (previously Board Chair from 2016-2019); Advisory Board member, Duke Energy Corp. since October 2016; Chair of the Duke Endowment; Chair of Greenville – Spartanburg Airport Commission; former Trustee, BofA Funds Series Trust (11 funds), 2003-2011; former Director, Piedmont Natural Gas, 2004-2016; former Director, National Association of Corporate Directors, Carolinas Chapter, 2013-2018 Board Governance, Compliance, Contracts, Investment Review
Sandra Yeager
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin Street,
Mail Drop BX32 05228,
Boston, MA 02110
1964
Trustee since 12/17 Retired; President and founder, Hanoverian Capital, LLC (SEC registered investment advisor firm), 2008-2016; Managing Director, DuPont Capital, 2006-2008; Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, 2004-2006; Senior Vice President, Alliance Bernstein, 1990-2004 115 Director, NAPE Education Foundation since October 2016 Audit, Contracts, Investment Review
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Interested Trustee Affiliated with Investment Manager*
Name, Address,
Year of Birth
Position Held
with the Trust and Length of Service
Principal Occupation(s)
During the Past Five Years
and Other Relevant
Professional Experience
Number of
Funds in the
Columbia Funds Complex
Overseen
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years Committee
Assignments
William F. Truscott
c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC,
225 Franklin St.
Boston, MA 02110
1960
Trustee since 11/01 for RiverSource Funds and since 6/11 for Nations Funds; Senior Vice President since 2002 for RiverSource Funds and since 5/10 for Nations Funds Chief Executive Officer, Global Asset Management, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since September 2012; Chairman of the Board and President, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC since July 2004 and February 2012, respectively; Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. since November 2008 and February 2012, respectively; Chairman of the Board and Director, Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings, Sàrl since March 2013 and December 2008, respectively; senior executive of various entities affiliated with Columbia Threadneedle 185 Trustee, Columbia Funds since November 2001 None
* Interested person (as defined under the 1940 Act) by reason of being an officer, director, security holder and/or employee of the Investment Manager or Ameriprise Financial.
The Officers
The Board has appointed officers who are responsible for day-to-day business decisions based on policies it has established. The officers serve at the pleasure of the Board. The following table provides basic information about the Officers of the Trust as of the date of this SAI, including principal occupations during the past five years, although their specific titles may have varied over the period. In addition to Mr. Truscott, who is Senior Vice President, the Funds' other officers are:
Fund Officers
Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position and Year
First Appointed to
Position for any Fund in the
Columbia Funds Complex
or a Predecessor Thereof
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Christopher O. Petersen
5228 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
Born 1970
President and Principal Executive Officer (2015) Vice President and Lead Chief Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since January 2015 (previously Vice President and Chief Counsel, January 2010 – December 2014); officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds since 2007.
Michael G. Clarke
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1969
Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer (2009) and Senior Vice President (2019) Vice President, Head of North American Operations, and Co-Head of Global Operations, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since June 2019 (previously Vice President – Accounting and Tax, May 2010 – May 2019); senior officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds since 2002 (previously Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer, January 2009 – January 2019 and December 2015 – January 2019, respectively).
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Name, Address
and Year of Birth
Position and Year
First Appointed to
Position for any Fund in the
Columbia Funds Complex
or a Predecessor Thereof
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years
Joseph Beranek
5890 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
Born 1965
Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) (2019) and Principal Financial Officer (2020) Vice President - Mutual Fund Accounting and Financial Reporting, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since December 2018 and March 2017, respectively (previously Vice President – Pricing and Corporate Actions, May 2010 - March 2017).
Paul B. Goucher
485 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Born 1968
Senior Vice President (2011) and Assistant Secretary (2008) Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since January 2017 (previously Vice President and Lead Chief Counsel, November 2008 – January 2017 and January 2013 – January 2017, respectively); Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC since March 2015 (previously Vice President and Assistant Secretary, May 2010 – March 2015).
Thomas P. McGuire
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1972
Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer (2012) Vice President – Asset Management Compliance, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since May 2010; Chief Compliance Officer, Ameriprise Certificate Company since September 2010; Chief Compliance Officer, Columbia Acorn/Wanger Funds since December 2015.
Colin Moore
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1958
Senior Vice President (2010) Executive Vice President and Global Chief Investment Officer, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since July 2013; Executive Vice President and Global Chief Investment Officer, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC since July 2013.
Ryan C. Larrenaga
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1970
Senior Vice President (2017), Chief Legal Officer (2017) and Secretary (2015) Vice President and Chief Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since August 2018 (previously Vice President and Group Counsel, August 2011 – August 2018); officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds since 2005.
Daniel J. Beckman
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1962
Senior Vice President (2020) Vice President – Head of North America Product, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (since April 2015); previously, Senior Vice President of Investment Product Management, Fidelity Financial Advisor Solutions, a division of Fidelity Investments (January 2012 – March 2015).
Michael E. DeFao
225 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Born 1968
Vice President (2011) and Assistant Secretary (2010) Vice President and Chief Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since May 2010.
Lyn Kephart-Strong
5228 Ameriprise Financial Center
Minneapolis, MN 55474
Born 1960
Vice President (2015) President, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp. since October 2014; Vice President & Resolution Officer, Ameriprise Trust Company since August 2009.
Responsibilities of Board with respect to Fund Management
The Board is chaired by an Independent Trustee who has significant additional responsibilities compared to the other Board members, including, among other things: setting the agenda for Board meetings, communicating and meeting regularly with Board members between Board and committee meetings on Fund-related matters, with the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer, counsel to the Independent Trustees, and representatives of the Funds' service providers.
The Board initially approves an investment management services agreement and other contracts with the Investment Manager and its affiliates, and other service providers. Once the contracts are approved, the Board monitors the level and quality of services including commitments of service providers to achieve expected levels of investment performance and shareholder services. Annually, the Board evaluates the services received under the contracts by reviewing, among other things, reports covering investment performance, shareholder services, marketing, and the Investment Manager’s profitability in order to determine whether to continue existing contracts or negotiate new contracts. The Investment Manager is responsible for day-to-day management and administration of the Funds and management of the risks that arise from the Funds' investments and operations. The Board’s oversight of the Investment Manager and other service providers in the operation of the Funds includes oversight with respect to various risk management functions. The Funds are subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational, and valuation risks, among others. Day-to-day risk management functions are subsumed within the
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responsibilities of the Investment Manager, the subadvisers and other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) who carry out the Funds' investment management and business affairs. Each of the Investment Manager, the subadvisers and other service providers has its own, independent interest in risk management, and its policies and methods of carrying out risk management functions will depend, in part, on its analysis of the risks, functions and business models.
Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of the Funds and is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. As part of its regular oversight of the Trust, the Board, directly or through a committee, interacts with and reviews reports from, among others, the Investment Manager, subadvisers, if applicable, the independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds, and internal auditors for the Investment Manager or its affiliates, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Funds and relevant risk functions. The Board also meets periodically with the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer, to receive reports regarding the adequacy of the policies and procedures of the Trust and certain service providers and the effectiveness of their implementation. The Board, with the assistance of the Investment Review Committee, reviews investment policies in connection with its review of the Funds' performance, and meets periodically with the portfolio managers of the Funds to receive reports regarding the management of the Funds, including various investment risks. As part of the Board’s periodic review of the Funds' advisory, subadvisory, if applicable, and other service provider agreements, as applicable, the Board may consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible. In addition, the Board oversees processes that are in place addressing compliance with applicable rules, regulations and investment policies and addresses possible conflicts of interest.
The Board oversees the Funds' liquidity risk through, among other things, receiving periodic reporting and presentations by investment and other personnel of the Investment Manager. Additionally, as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Funds have implemented a written liquidity risk management program and related procedures (the Liquidity Program), which is reasonably designed to assess and manage the Funds' liquidity risk. The Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the designation of a liquidity risk management program administrator (the “Liquidity Program Administrator”) who is responsible for administering the Liquidity Program. The Board will review, no less frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the Liquidity Program Administrator that addresses the operation of the Liquidity Program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified in advance; that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks; that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as various investment-related risks) in seeking to achieve the Funds' investment objectives; and that the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.
Trustee Biographical Information and Qualifications
The following provides an overview of the considerations that led the Board to conclude that each individual serving as a Trustee should so serve. Generally, no one factor was decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considered when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board were the following: (i) the individual’s business and professional experience and accomplishments; (ii) the individual’s ability to work effectively with the other Trustees; (iii) the individual’s prior experience, if any, serving on the boards of public companies (including, where relevant, other investment companies) and other enterprises and organizations; and (iv) how the individual’s skills, experience and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board.
In respect of each current Trustee, the individual’s substantial professional accomplishments and experience were a significant factor in the determination that, in light of the business and structure of the Funds, the individual should serve as a Trustee. Following is a summary of each Trustee’s particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to or support the Board’s conclusion that an individual should serve as a Trustee:
George S. Batejan – Mr. Batejan has over 40 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including service as a former Executive Vice President and Global Head of Technology and Operations of Janus Capital Group, Inc. He has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Evergreen Investments, Inc., Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of OppenheimerFunds, Inc., and Head of International Property and Casualty Operations and Systems/Senior Vice President of American International Group. Mr. Batejan is an 18-year veteran of Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. where he progressed to the Private Banking Vice President and Division Executive of the Americas’ Service Delivery Group. He has also served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards. Additionally, Mr. Batejan has managed operational units supporting the mutual fund business. These functions include fund accounting, fund treasury, fund tax, transfer agent, trade processing and settlement, proxy voting, corporate actions, operational risk, business continuity, and cyber security. He was also a member of the Ethics Committee, Global Risk Committee, and Cyber Security Committee of a major investment manager.
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Kathleen Blatz – Ms. Blatz has had a successful legal and judicial career, including serving for eight years as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Prior to being a judge, she practiced law and also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives having been elected to eight terms. While in the legislature she served on various committees, including the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the Tax Committee. Since retiring from the Bench, she has been appointed as an arbitrator on many cases involving business to business disputes, including some pertaining to shareholder rights issues. She also has been appointed to two Special Litigation Committees by boards of Fortune 500 Companies to investigate issues relating to cyber-security and stock options. In February 2018, she was appointed Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and served in that capacity until July 30, 2018. She also serves on the board of directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and as chair of a non-profit organization.
Pamela G. Carlton – Ms. Carlton has over 20 years’ experience in the investment banking industry, as a former Managing Director of JP Morgan Chase and a 14-year veteran of Morgan Stanley Investment Banking and Equity Research. She is currently the President of Springboard Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership, a consulting firm that she founded. Ms. Carlton also serves on the Board of Directors of DR Bank (formerly Laurel Road Bank), a privately held community bank, where she serves on the Audit Committee. She also serves on the board of directors of Evercore Inc., a public investment bank. In addition, she has experience on other boards of directors of non-profit organizations, including the Board of Trustees of New York Presbyterian Hospital where she is on the Executive Committee and Chair of the Human Resources Committee.
Patricia M. Flynn – Dr. Flynn is a Trustee Professor of Economics and Management at Bentley University, where she previously served as Dean of the McCallum Graduate School of Business. Her research and teaching focus on technology-based economic development, corporate governance and women in business, which she has also written on extensively. She has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards, including Boston Fed Bancorp Inc., U.S. Trust and The Federal Savings Bank.
Brian J. Gallagher – Mr. Gallagher has 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 30 years of service as an audit partner in the financial services practice at Deloitte & Touche LLP. During his tenure at Deloitte, Mr. Gallagher served as the Industry Professional Practice Director for the Investment Management Audit Practice, and oversaw the development of the firm’s audit approach for clients in the industry, consulted on technical issues, and interacted with standard setters and regulators. He also has experience on boards of directors of non-profit organizations.
Catherine James Paglia – Ms. Paglia has been a Director of Enterprise Asset Management, Inc., a real estate and asset management company, for over 15 years. She previously spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, 10 years as a Managing Director of Interlaken Capital and served as Chief Financial Officer of two public companies. She also has experience on other boards of directors of public and non-profit organizations.
Anthony M. Santomero – Dr. Santomero is the former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. He holds the title of Richard K. Mellon Professor Emeritus of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the boards of two public companies, Renaissance Reinsurance Company Ltd and the Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company. He previously served as director of Citigroup Inc. and Citibank, N.A., Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company and was the Richard K. Mellon Professor of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. During his 30-year tenure at Wharton, he held a number of academic and managerial positions, including Deputy Dean of the School. He has written approximately 150 articles, books and monographs on financial sector regulation and economic performance.
Minor M. Shaw – Ms. Shaw is President of Micco, LLC, a private investment company, and past president of Micco Corporation and Mickel Investment Group. She is chairman of the Daniel-Mickel Foundation and The Duke Endowment. She also currently serves as chairman of the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport Commission. She holds numerous civic and business board memberships and is a past chair of Wofford College Board of Trustees. Ms. Shaw serves on the board of the Hollingsworth Funds (formerly Board Chair of the Hollingsworth Funds), Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, and on the advisory board of Duke Energy Corp. She has also served on the boards of Citizens & Southern Bank of SC, Interstate Johnson Lane, and Piedmont Natural Gas.
William F. Truscott – Mr. Truscott has served on the Board of Trustees of various Columbia Funds since 2001. He has served as Chairman of the Board of the Investment Manager since July 2004 and since February 2012 has served as its President. From 2001 to April 2010, Mr. Truscott served as the President, Chairman of the Board and Chief Investment Officer of the Investment Manager. He has served as Chairman of the board of the Distributor since November 2008 and since February 2012 has served as its Chief Executive Officer. The Board has concluded that having a senior member of the Investment Manager serve on the Board can facilitate increased access to information regarding the Funds’ Investment Manager for the Independent Trustees, which is the Funds’ most significant service provider.
Sandra Yeager – Ms. Yeager has over 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. In August of 2008 she founded Hanoverian Capital, LLC, an investment boutique specializing in international equities for institutional clients, where she served as President and Chief Investment Officer through December 2016. Prior to that, Ms. Yeager served as Head of International
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Equities for DuPont Capital and Head of Global Equity Research for Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where she led a team of thirty people. Ms. Yeager began her investment career at AllianceBernstein as an equity analyst and advanced to become a global portfolio manager for institutional and mutual fund clients.
Committees of the Board
The Board has organized the following standing committees to facilitate its work: Board Governance Committee, Compliance Committee, Contracts Committee, Executive Committee, Investment Review Committee and Audit Committee. These Committees are comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The table above providing background on each Trustee also includes their respective committee assignments. The duties of these committees are described below.
Ms. Paglia, as Chair of the Board, acts as a point of contact between the Independent Trustees and the Investment Manager between Board meetings in respect of general matters.
Board Governance Committee. Recommends to the Board the size, structure and composition of the Board and its committees; the compensation to be paid to members of the Board; and a process for evaluating the Board’s performance. The committee also reviews candidates for Board membership, including candidates recommended by shareholders. The committee also makes recommendations to the Board regarding responsibilities and duties of the Board, oversees proxy voting and supports the work of the Board Chair in relation to furthering the interests of the Funds and other funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Board and their shareholders.
To be considered as a candidate for Trustee, recommendations must include a curriculum vitae and be mailed to Catherine James Paglia, Chair of the Board, Columbia Funds Complex, 225 Franklin Street, Mail Drop BX32 05228, Boston, MA 02110. To be timely for consideration by the committee, the submission, including all required information, must be submitted in writing by the date disclosed in a Fund’s proxy statement soliciting proxies to be voted at a meeting of shareholders, if such a meeting is held (mutual funds, including ETFs, are not required to hold annual shareholder meetings). The committee will consider only one candidate submitted by such a shareholder or group for nomination for election at a meeting of shareholders. The committee will not consider self-nominated candidates or candidates nominated by members of a candidate’s family, including such candidate’s spouse, children, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, nieces and nephews.
The committee will consider and evaluate candidates submitted by the nominating shareholder or group on the basis of the same criteria as those used to consider and evaluate candidates submitted from other sources. The committee may take into account a wide variety of factors in considering trustee candidates, including (but not limited to): (i) the candidate’s knowledge in matters relating to the investment company industry; (ii) any experience possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of other public or private companies; (iii) the candidate’s educational background; (iv) the candidate’s reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board’s existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the candidate’s perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidate’s ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly, work collaboratively with other members of the Board and carry out his or her duties in the best interests of the Funds; (vii) the candidate’s ability to qualify as an independent trustee; and (viii) such other criteria as the committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or other factors.
Members of the committee (and/or the Board) also meet personally with each nominee to evaluate the candidate’s ability to work effectively with other members of the Board, while also exercising independent judgment. Although the Board does not have a formal diversity policy, the Board endeavors to comprise itself of members with a broad mix of professional and personal backgrounds. Thus, the committee and the Board accorded particular weight to the individual professional background of each Independent Trustee. The committee held seven meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Compliance Committee. Supports the Funds' maintenance of a strong compliance program by providing a forum for Independent Trustees to consider compliance matters impacting the Funds or their key service providers; developing and implementing, in coordination with the Chief Compliance Officer, a process for the review and consideration of compliance reports that are provided to the Board; and providing a designated forum for the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer to meet with Independent Trustees on a regular basis to discuss compliance matters. The committee held five meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Contracts Committee. Reviews and oversees the contractual relationships with service providers. Receives and analyzes reports covering the level and quality of services provided under contracts with the Funds and advises the Board regarding actions taken on these contracts during the annual review process. Reviews and considers, on behalf of all Trustees, the Funds' investment advisory, subadvisory (if any), administrative services and principal underwriting contracts to assists the Trustees in fulfilling their responsibilities relating to the Board’s evaluation and consideration of these arrangements. The committee held six meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
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Executive Committee. Acts, as needed, for the Board between meetings of the Board, and can meet in advance of, and/or for planning, regularly scheduled meetings or other Board matters. The committee held five meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Investment Review Committee. Reviews and oversees the management of the Funds' assets. Considers investment management policies and strategies; investment performance; risk management techniques; and securities trading practices and reports areas of concern to the Board. The committee held eight meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Audit Committee. Oversees the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Funds and internal controls over financial reporting. Oversees the quality and integrity of the Funds' financial statements and independent audits as well as the Funds' compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Funds' accounting and financial reporting, internal controls over financial reporting and independent audits. The committee also makes recommendations regarding the selection of the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm (i.e., independent auditors) and reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the auditor. The committee oversees the Funds' risks by, among other things, meeting with the Funds' internal auditors, establishing procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns about accounting or audit matters, and overseeing the Funds' Disclosure Controls and Procedures. This committee acts as a liaison between the independent auditors and the full Board and must prepare an audit committee report. The committee held six meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Beneficial Equity Ownership
The tables below show, for each Trustee, the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of all Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee, including notional amounts through the Deferred Compensation Plan, where noted. The information is provided as of December 31, 2019.
The tables only include ownership of Columbia Funds overseen by the Trustees; the Trustees and Officers may own shares of other Columbia Funds they do not oversee. All shares of the Funds are made available only through Qualified Plans or products offered by life insurance companies, and as of December 31, 2019, no Trustee had an interest in shares of the Funds.
Independent Trustee Ownership
Board Member Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
in all Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen
by the Trustee
George S. Batejan Over $100,000
Kathleen Blatz Over $100,000
Pamela G. Carlton Over $100,000(a)
Patricia M. Flynn Over $100,000(a)
Brian J. Gallagher Over $100,000(a)
Catherine James Paglia Over $100,000(a)
Anthony Santomero Over $100,000(a)
Minor M. Shaw Over $100,000(a)(b)
Sandra L. Yeager Over $100,000(a)
(a) Includes the value of compensation payable under a Deferred Compensation Plan that is determined as if the amounts deferred had been invested, as of the date of deferral, in shares of one or more funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee as specified by the Trustee.
(b) Ms. Shaw invests in a Section 529 Plan managed by the Investment Manager that allocates assets to various open-end funds, including Columbia Funds. The amount shown in the table includes the value of her interest in this plan determined as if her investment in the plan were invested directly in the Columbia Fund pursuant to the plan’s target allocations.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 160

 

Interested Trustee Ownership
Board Member Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
in all Funds in the
Columbia Funds
Complex Overseen
by the Trustee
William F. Truscott Over $100,000
Compensation
Total compensation. The following table shows the total compensation paid to Independent Trustees for their services from all the Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019.
Mr. Truscott is not compensated for his services on the Board.
Trustees(a) Total Cash Compensation
from Fund Complex
Paid to Trustee(b)
Amount Deferred
from Total
Compensation(c)
George Batejan $365,000 $0
Kathleen Blatz $362,500 $0
Edward Boudreau(d) $445,000 $275,900
Pamela Carlton $362,500 $108,750
Patricia Flynn $362,500 $362,500
Brian Gallagher $325,000 $162,500
Catherine Paglia $362,500 $362,500
Anthony Santomero $330,000 $0
Minor Shaw $332,500 $166,250
Sandra Yeager $325,000 $162,500
(a) Trustee compensation is paid by the Funds and is comprised of a combination of a base fee and meeting fees, with the exception of the Chair of the Board, who receives a base annual compensation.
(b) Includes any portion of cash compensation Trustees elected to defer during the fiscal period.
(c) The Trustees may elect to defer a portion of the total cash compensation payable. Additional information regarding the Deferred Compensation Plan is described below.
(d) Mr. Boudreau served as Trustee until December 31, 2019, and stopped receiving compensation from the Funds and the Columbia Funds Complex as of such date.
In addition to the above compensation, all Independent Trustees receive reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to their attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.
Independent Trustees did not accrue any pension or retirement benefits as part of Fund expenses, nor will they receive any annual benefits upon retirement.
Deferred Compensation Plan. The Independent Trustees may elect to defer payment of up to 100% of the compensation they receive in accordance with a Deferred Compensation Plan (the Deferred Plan). Under the Deferred Plan, a Trustee may elect to have his or her deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested in shares of one or more eligible funds in the Columbia Funds Complex, and the amount paid to the Trustee under the Deferred Plan will be determined based on the performance of such investments. Distributions may be taken in a lump sum or over a period of years. The Deferred Plan will remain unfunded for federal income tax purposes under the Code, and all amounts payable under the Deferred Plan constitute a general unsecured obligation of the Funds. It is anticipated that deferral of Trustee compensation in accordance with the Deferred Plan will have, at most, a negligible impact on Fund assets and liabilities.
The Independent Trustees have a policy that each Trustee invests in shares of one or more of the Funds (including the Columbia closed-end funds) overseen by the Trustee (including shares held in the Deferred Compensation Plan) in an aggregate amount that is at least equal to the annual total compensation received by the Trustee from the Columbia Fund Complex. All Independent Trustees meet this standard.
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Compensation from each Fund. The following table shows the compensation paid to Independent Trustees from each Fund during its last fiscal year (or period), as well as the amount deferred from each Fund, which is included in the total.
Fund Aggregate Compensation from Fund
Independent Trustees
Batejan Blatz Boudreau(a) Carlton Flynn
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP - Aggressive Portfolio $4,237 $4,207 $5,191 $4,207 $4,207
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $3,218 $1,262 $4,207
VP - American Century Diversified Bond Fund $3,739 $3,714 $4,583 $3,714 $3,714
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,841 $1,114 $3,714
VP - Balanced Fund $2,387 $2,369 $2,922 $2,370 $2,370
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,812 $711 $2,370
VP - BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund $1,142 $1,134 $1,398 $1,134 $1,134
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $866 $340 $1,134
VP - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund $1,644 $1,631 $2,010 $1,632 $1,632
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,246 $490 $1,632
VP - Commodity Strategy Fund $1,496 $1,485 $1,831 $1,485 $1,485
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,135 $446 $1,485
VP - Conservative Portfolio $2,345 $2,328 $2,871 $2,329 $2,329
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,780 $699 $2,329
VP - Core Equity Fund $1,242 $1,233 $1,520 $1,233 $1,233
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $942 $370 $1,233
VP - Disciplined Core Fund $7,774 $7,720 $9,529 $7,719 $7,719
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $5,908 $2,316 $7,719
VP - Dividend Opportunity Fund $2,881 $2,860 $3,528 $2,861 $2,861
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,187 $858 $2,861
VP - Emerging Markets Bond Fund $1,341 $1,331 $1,640 $1,331 $1,331
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,017 $399 $1,331
VP - Emerging Markets Fund $1,571 $1,559 $1,924 $1,560 $1,560
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,193 $468 $1,560
VP - Global Strategic Income Fund $1,143 $1,134 $1,398 $1,135 $1,135
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $867 $340 $1,135
VP - Government Money Market Fund $1,533 $1,522 $1,879 $1,522 $1,522
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,165 $457 $1,522
VP - High Yield Bond Fund $1,445 $1,434 $1,768 $1,435 $1,435
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,096 $430 $1,435
VP - Income Opportunities Fund $1,437 $1,426 $1,758 $1,427 $1,427
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,090 $428 $1,427
VP - Intermediate Bond Fund $6,924 $6,875 $8,477 $6,877 $6,877
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $5,256 $2,063 $6,877
VP - Large Cap Growth Fund $3,392 $3,367 $4,153 $3,368 $3,368
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,575 $1,010 $3,368
VP - Large Cap Index Fund $2,259 $2,242 $2,765 $2,244 $2,244
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,714 $673 $2,244
VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund $1,986 $1,972 $2,431 $1,972 $1,972
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,507 $592 $1,972
VP - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund $3,945 $3,915 $4,830 $3,917 $3,917
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,994 $1,175 $3,917
VP - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund $3,334 $3,310 $4,083 $3,311 $3,311
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,531 $993 $3,311
VP - MFS Value Fund $3,094 $3,074 $3,793 $3,072 $3,072
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,351 $922 $3,072
VP - Mid Cap Growth Fund $1,636 $1,623 $2,001 $1,624 $1,624
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,240 $487 $1,624
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Fund Aggregate Compensation from Fund
Independent Trustees
Batejan Blatz Boudreau(a) Carlton Flynn
VP - Moderate Portfolio $22,993 $22,831 $28,167 $22,832 $22,832
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $17,464 $6,849 $22,832
VP - Moderately Aggressive Portfolio $11,169 $11,092 $13,687 $11,089 $11,089
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $8,486 $3,327 $11,089
VP - Moderately Conservative Portfolio $4,844 $4,810 $5,933 $4,810 $4,810
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $3,678 $1,443 $4,810
VP - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund $3,917 $3,886 $4,789 $3,889 $3,889
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,969 $1,167 $3,889
VP - MV Moderate Growth Fund $19,869 $19,726 $24,336 $19,730 $19,730
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $15,088 $5,919 $19,730
VP - Overseas Core Fund $2,413 $2,395 $2,955 $2,396 $2,396
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,832 $719 $2,396
VP - Partners Core Bond Fund $5,656 $5,615 $6,924 $5,616 $5,616
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $4,293 $1,685 $5,616
VP - Partners Core Equity Fund $3,656 $3,629 $4,478 $3,631 $3,631
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,776 $1,089 $3,631
VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund $4,813 $4,778 $5,903 $4,779 $4,779
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $3,660 $1,434 $4,779
VP - Partners International Growth Fund $2,127 $2,112 $2,601 $2,112 $2,112
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,612 $634 $2,112
VP - Partners International Value Fund $2,120 $2,106 $2,593 $2,106 $2,106
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,608 $632 $2,106
VP - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund $1,811 $1,798 $2,217 $1,798 $1,798
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,375 $539 $1,798
VP - Partners Small Cap Value Fund $1,925 $1,911 $2,357 $1,912 $1,912
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,461 $573 $1,912
VP - Select Large Cap Equity Fund $2,564 $2,545 $3,140 $2,546 $2,546
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,947 $764 $2,546
VP - Select Large Cap Value Fund $2,636 $2,617 $3,231 $2,617 $2,617
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,003 $785 $2,617
VP - Select Mid Cap Value Fund $1,377 $1,367 $1,686 $1,368 $1,368
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,045 $410 $1,368
VP - Select Small Cap Value Fund $1,104 $1,096 $1,351 $1,097 $1,097
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $838 $329 $1,097
VP - Seligman Global Technology Fund $1,101 $1,093 $1,347 $1,093 $1,093
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $835 $328 $1,093
VP - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund $3,580 $3,556 $4,389 $3,555 $3,555
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,721 $1,066 $3,555
VP - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund $4,566 $4,533 $5,590 $4,535 $4,535
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $3,466 $1,360 $4,535
VP - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund $2,270 $2,253 $2,778 $2,254 $2,254
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,722 $676 $2,254
VP - Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund $1,784 $1,771 $2,184 $1,772 $1,772
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,354 $532 $1,772
VP - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund $3,552 $3,527 $4,350 $3,528 $3,528
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $2,697 $1,058 $3,528
VP - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund $1,755 $1,742 $2,147 $1,743 $1,743
Amount Deferred $0 $0 $1,331 $523 $1,743
(a) Mr. Boudreau served as Trustee until December 31, 2019, and stopped receiving compensation from the Funds and the Columbia Funds Complex as of such date.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 163

 

Fund Aggregate Compensation from Fund
Independent Trustees
Gallagher Paglia Santomero Shaw Yeager
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP - Aggressive Portfolio $3,876 $4,207 $3,816 $3,847 $3,877
Amount Deferred $1,938 $4,207 $0 $1,923 $1,938
VP - American Century Diversified Bond Fund $3,436 $3,714 $3,385 $3,411 $3,436
Amount Deferred $1,718 $3,714 $0 $1,705 $1,718
VP - Balanced Fund $2,184 $2,369 $2,150 $2,167 $2,183
Amount Deferred $1,092 $2,369 $0 $1,083 $1,092
VP - BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund $1,045 $1,134 $1,029 $1,036 $1,044
Amount Deferred $522 $1,134 $0 $518 $522
VP - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund $1,504 $1,631 $1,480 $1,492 $1,503
Amount Deferred $752 $1,631 $0 $746 $751
VP - Commodity Strategy Fund $1,367 $1,485 $1,346 $1,356 $1,367
Amount Deferred $684 $1,485 $0 $678 $683
VP - Conservative Portfolio $2,147 $2,328 $2,114 $2,130 $2,146
Amount Deferred $1,073 $2,328 $0 $1,065 $1,073
VP - Core Equity Fund $1,136 $1,233 $1,118 $1,127 $1,136
Amount Deferred $568 $1,233 $0 $564 $568
VP - Disciplined Core Fund $7,117 $7,720 $7,007 $7,062 $7,117
Amount Deferred $3,558 $7,720 $0 $3,531 $3,559
VP - Dividend Opportunity Fund $2,636 $2,860 $2,595 $2,615 $2,636
Amount Deferred $1,318 $2,860 $0 $1,308 $1,318
VP - Emerging Markets Bond Fund $1,226 $1,331 $1,207 $1,216 $1,225
Amount Deferred $613 $1,331 $0 $608 $613
VP - Emerging Markets Fund $1,437 $1,559 $1,415 $1,426 $1,437
Amount Deferred $719 $1,559 $0 $713 $718
VP - Global Strategic Income Fund $1,045 $1,134 $1,029 $1,037 $1,045
Amount Deferred $523 $1,134 $0 $518 $522
VP - Government Money Market Fund $1,405 $1,522 $1,384 $1,395 $1,405
Amount Deferred $703 $1,522 $0 $697 $703
VP - High Yield Bond Fund $1,322 $1,434 $1,301 $1,311 $1,321
Amount Deferred $661 $1,434 $0 $656 $661
VP - Income Opportunities Fund $1,314 $1,426 $1,294 $1,304 $1,314
Amount Deferred $657 $1,426 $0 $652 $657
VP - Intermediate Bond Fund $6,340 $6,875 $6,242 $6,290 $6,338
Amount Deferred $3,170 $6,875 $0 $3,145 $3,169
VP - Large Cap Growth Fund $3,103 $3,367 $3,055 $3,078 $3,102
Amount Deferred $1,552 $3,367 $0 $1,539 $1,551
VP - Large Cap Index Fund $2,067 $2,242 $2,035 $2,050 $2,066
Amount Deferred $1,034 $2,242 $0 $1,025 $1,033
VP - Limited Duration Credit Fund $1,817 $1,972 $1,789 $1,803 $1,817
Amount Deferred $909 $1,972 $0 $902 $908
VP - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund $3,608 $3,915 $3,552 $3,579 $3,607
Amount Deferred $1,804 $3,915 $0 $1,789 $1,803
VP - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund $3,051 $3,310 $3,003 $3,026 $3,049
Amount Deferred $1,525 $3,310 $0 $1,513 $1,525
VP - MFS Value Fund $2,833 $3,074 $2,790 $2,813 $2,835
Amount Deferred $1,416 $3,074 $0 $1,406 $1,417
VP - Mid Cap Growth Fund $1,495 $1,623 $1,472 $1,483 $1,494
Amount Deferred $748 $1,623 $0 $741 $747
VP - Moderate Portfolio $21,044 $22,831 $20,719 $20,882 $21,044
Amount Deferred $10,522 $22,831 $0 $10,441 $10,522
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 164

 

Fund Aggregate Compensation from Fund
Independent Trustees
Gallagher Paglia Santomero Shaw Yeager
VP - Moderately Aggressive Portfolio $10,221 $11,092 $10,064 $10,144 $10,223
Amount Deferred $5,111 $11,092 $0 $5,072 $5,112
VP - Moderately Conservative Portfolio $4,434 $4,810 $4,366 $4,400 $4,434
Amount Deferred $2,217 $4,810 $0 $2,200 $2,217
VP - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund $3,577 $3,886 $3,520 $3,547 $3,574
Amount Deferred $1,789 $3,886 $0 $1,773 $1,787
VP - MV Moderate Growth Fund $18,184 $19,726 $17,902 $18,041 $18,180
Amount Deferred $9,092 $19,726 $0 $9,020 $9,090
VP - Overseas Core Fund $2,208 $2,395 $2,174 $2,191 $2,207
Amount Deferred $1,104 $2,395 $0 $1,095 $1,104
VP - Partners Core Bond Fund $5,177 $5,615 $5,097 $5,136 $5,175
Amount Deferred $2,588 $5,615 $0 $2,568 $2,588
VP - Partners Core Equity Fund $3,346 $3,629 $3,294 $3,319 $3,345
Amount Deferred $1,673 $3,629 $0 $1,660 $1,672
VP - Partners International Core Equity Fund $4,398 $4,778 $4,328 $4,363 $4,397
Amount Deferred $2,199 $4,778 $0 $2,181 $2,199
VP - Partners International Growth Fund $1,949 $2,112 $1,919 $1,934 $1,949
Amount Deferred $974 $2,112 $0 $967 $975
VP - Partners International Value Fund $1,944 $2,106 $1,915 $1,930 $1,945
Amount Deferred $972 $2,106 $0 $965 $972
VP - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund $1,655 $1,798 $1,628 $1,641 $1,654
Amount Deferred $827 $1,798 $0 $821 $827
VP - Partners Small Cap Value Fund $1,759 $1,911 $1,732 $1,745 $1,759
Amount Deferred $880 $1,911 $0 $873 $880
VP - Select Large Cap Equity Fund $2,346 $2,545 $2,310 $2,327 $2,345
Amount Deferred $1,173 $2,545 $0 $1,164 $1,173
VP - Select Large Cap Value Fund $2,412 $2,617 $2,375 $2,394 $2,412
Amount Deferred $1,206 $2,617 $0 $1,197 $1,206
VP - Select Mid Cap Value Fund $1,260 $1,367 $1,240 $1,250 $1,259
Amount Deferred $630 $1,367 $0 $625 $630
VP - Select Small Cap Value Fund $1,010 $1,096 $994 $1,002 $1,010
Amount Deferred $505 $1,096 $0 $501 $505
VP - Seligman Global Technology Fund $1,007 $1,093 $992 $999 $1,007
Amount Deferred $504 $1,093 $0 $500 $503
VP - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund $3,279 $3,556 $3,229 $3,255 $3,280
Amount Deferred $1,639 $3,556 $0 $1,627 $1,640
VP - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund $4,180 $4,533 $4,116 $4,148 $4,179
Amount Deferred $2,090 $4,533 $0 $2,074 $2,090
VP - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund $2,077 $2,253 $2,045 $2,061 $2,077
Amount Deferred $1,039 $2,253 $0 $1,031 $1,038
VP - Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund $1,632 $1,771 $1,606 $1,618 $1,631
Amount Deferred $816 $1,771 $0 $809 $815
VP - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund $3,251 $3,527 $3,200 $3,225 $3,250
Amount Deferred $1,625 $3,527 $0 $1,613 $1,625
VP - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund $1,603 $1,742 $1,578 $1,590 $1,602
Amount Deferred $802 $1,742 $0 $795 $801
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 165

 

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND RELATED PRACTICES
General Brokerage Policy, Brokerage Transactions and Broker Selection
Subject to policies established by the Board, as well as the terms of the Management Agreement and Subadvisory Agreement, as applicable, the Investment Manager (and/or the investment subadviser(s) who makes the day-to-day investment decisions for all or a portion of a Fund’s net assets) is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities and other instruments and assets for a Fund, for the selection of broker-dealers, for the execution of a Fund’s transactions and for the allocation of brokerage commissions in connection with such transactions. The Investment Manager effects transactions for the Fund consistent with its duty to seek best execution of client (including Fund) orders under the circumstances of the particular transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are effected through broker-dealers who charge negotiated commissions for their services. Orders may be directed to any broker-dealer to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law and by the policies and procedures of the Investment Manager and/or any investment subadvisers.
In the over-the-counter market, securities generally are traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principals for their own accounts without stated commissions, although the price of a security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are bought at a fixed price that includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s “concession” or “discount.” On occasion, certain money market instruments may be bought directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.
The Investment Manager effects security transactions for the Funds consistent with its duty to seek best execution of client (including the Funds) orders under the circumstances of the particular transaction. In seeking such execution, the Investment Manager will use its best judgment in evaluating the terms of a transaction, and will give consideration to various relevant factors, including, without limitation, the size and type of the transaction, the nature and character of the market for the security or other instrument or asset, the confidentiality, speed and certainty of effective execution required for the transaction, the general execution and operational capabilities of the broker-dealer, the reputation, reliability, experience and financial condition of the broker-dealer, the value and quality of the services rendered by the broker-dealer in this instance and other transactions and the reasonableness of the spread or commission, if any. Research services received from broker-dealers supplement the Investment Manager’s own research and may include the following types of information: statistical and background information on industry groups and individual companies; forecasts and interpretations with respect to U.S. and foreign economies, securities, markets, specific industry groups and individual companies; information on political developments; Fund management strategies; performance information on securities and other instruments and assets and information concerning prices of same; and information supplied by specialized services to the Investment Manager and to the Board with respect to the performance, investment activities and fees and expenses of other funds. Such information may be communicated electronically, orally or in written form.
Broker-dealers may, from time to time, arrange meetings with management of companies and provide access to consultants who supply research information. The outside research is useful to the Investment Manager since, in certain instances, the broker-dealers utilized by the Investment Manager may follow a different universe of issuers and other matters than those that the Investment Manager’s staff follow. In addition, this research provides the Investment Manager with a different perspective on investment matters, even if the securities research obtained relates to issuers followed by the Investment Manager.
Investment managers subject to MiFID II, which may include certain investment subadvisers to the Funds, may not receive investment research from brokers unless the investment manager pays for such research directly from its own resources, or from a separate, dedicated account paid for with client funds with client permission (or a combination of these methods). MiFID II limits the use of soft dollars by investment subadvisers located in the EU and in certain circumstances may result in the Investment Manager or investment subadvisers reducing the use of soft dollars with respect to certain groups of clients, which may or may not include the Funds.
Research services that are provided to the Investment Manager by broker-dealers are available for the benefit of all accounts managed or advised by the Investment Manager. In some cases, the research services are available only from the broker-dealer providing such services. In other cases, the research services may be obtainable from alternative sources. Broker-dealer research typically supplements rather than replaces the Investment Manager’s own research, tending to improve the quality of its investment advice. However, to the extent that the Investment Manager would have bought any such research services had such services not been provided by broker-dealers, the expenses of such services to the Investment Manager could be considered to have been reduced accordingly. Certain research services furnished by broker-dealers may be useful to the clients of the Investment Manager other than the Funds. Conversely, any research services received by the Investment Manager through the placement of transactions of other clients may be of value to the Investment Manager in fulfilling its obligations to the Funds. The Investment Manager is of the opinion that this material is beneficial in supplementing its research and analysis; and, therefore, it may benefit the Funds by improving the quality of the Investment Manager’s investment advice. The advisory fees paid by the Funds are not reduced because the Investment Manager receives such services.
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Unless prohibited by applicable law, Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, provides a “safe harbor” for the Investment Manager to obtain research used in investment decision-making and brokerage services with client commissions. As a result, broker-dealers typically provide services including research and execution of transactions. The research provided can be either broker-dealer proprietary research (created and provided by a broker-dealer, including tangible research products as well as access to analysts and traders) or third party research (created by a third party but provided by a broker-dealer). The Investment Manager uses broker-dealers who provide both types of research products and services, as well as brokerage products and services, in exchange for commissions generated by transactions in the client accounts (including the Funds), also known as “soft dollars” or client commission arrangements.
Under Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Investment Manager shall not be “deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached its fiduciary duty” solely because under certain circumstances it has caused the account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. To obtain the benefit of Section 28(e), the Investment Manager must make a good faith determination that the commissions paid are “reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such member, broker, or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or his overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which he exercises investment discretion.” Accordingly, the price to a Fund in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the brokerage and research services offered. Generally, the Investment Manager may execute trades through a broker-dealer, which subsequently makes payment to a research-producing broker-dealer at the Investment Manager’s direction, retaining a predetermined portion of the commissions for execution. The Investment Manager determines the amount of the payments through a broker research evaluation process. This compensation method, sometimes referred to as a “commission sharing arrangement” allows the Investment Manager to more selectively obtain research from one broker-dealer while seeking the execution services of another, preferred execution broker-dealer. Such commission sharing arrangements do not obligate the Investment Manager to generate a specified level of commissions with the executing broker-dealers.
The Investment Manager does not consider sales of shares of the Funds as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers through which to execute securities transactions on behalf of the Funds. On a periodic basis, the Investment Manager makes a comprehensive review of the broker-dealers and the overall reasonableness of their commissions, which evaluates execution, operational efficiency, and research services. Certain limited reviews are also conducted by an independent third-party evaluator.
Commission rates are established pursuant to negotiations with broker-dealers based on the quality and quantity of execution services provided by broker-dealers in light of generally prevailing rates. On exchanges on which commissions are negotiated, the cost of transactions may vary among different broker-dealers. Transactions on foreign stock exchanges involve payment of brokerage commissions that generally are fixed. Transactions in both foreign and domestic over-the-counter markets generally are principal transactions with dealers, and the costs of such transactions involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions. With respect to over-the-counter transactions, the Investment Manager, where possible, will deal directly with dealers who make a market in the securities involved, except in those circumstances in which better prices and execution are available elsewhere.
The Investment Manager or a subadviser, if applicable, may use step-out transactions. A “step-out” is an arrangement in which the Investment Manager or subadviser executes a trade through one broker-dealer but instructs that broker-dealer to step-out all or a part of the trade to another broker-dealer. The second broker-dealer will clear and settle, and receive commissions for, the stepped-out portion. The Investment Manager or subadviser may receive research products and services in connection with step-out transactions.
Use of Fund commissions may create potential conflicts of interest between the Investment Manager or subadviser and a Fund. However, the Investment Manager and each subadviser has policies and procedures designed to mitigate these conflicts and ensure that the use of Fund commissions falls within the “safe harbor” of Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act.
Some products and services may be used for both investment decision-making and non-investment decision-making purposes (“mixed use” items). The Investment Manager and each subadviser, to the extent it has mixed use items, has procedures in place to assure that Fund commissions pay only for the investment decision-making portion of a mixed-use item.
Some broker-dealers with whom the Investment Manager’s Fixed Income Department executes trades provide the Fixed Income Department with proprietary research products and services, though the Fixed Income Department does not put in place any client commission arrangements with such broker-dealers. It is the Investment Manager’s policy not to execute a fixed income trade with a broker-dealer at a lower bid/higher offer than that provided by another broker-dealer in consideration of the value of research products and services received by the Fixed Income Department.
In certain instances, there may be securities that are suitable for a Fund as well as for one or more of the other clients of the Investment Manager. Investment decisions for the Funds and for the Investment Manager’s other clients are made with the goal of achieving their respective investment objectives. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client even though it may be held by, or bought or sold for, other clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when
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one or more other clients are selling that same security. Some simultaneous transactions are inevitable when a number of accounts receive investment advice from the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more clients are engaged simultaneously in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed to be equitable to each. In some cases, this policy could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security in a particular transaction that may affect the Funds.
The Investment Manager operates several trading desks in different geographic locations in the United States. The U.S. trading desks support different portfolio management teams managing a variety of accounts and products. The U.S. equity desks are functionally and operationally integrated to operate as one virtual desk. While the U.S. trading desks operate in several locations, the desks operate under the same oversight and reporting lines and are generally conducted under similar policies and procedures. In addition, certain fixed income portfolio managers currently have the authority to execute trades themselves in limited circumstances.
As the Investment Manager seeks to enhance its investment capabilities and services to its clients, including the Funds, the Investment Manager may engage certain of its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world to provide a variety of services. For example, the Investment Manager may engage Participating Affiliates and their personnel to provide (jointly or in coordination with the Investment Manager) services relating to client relations, investment monitoring, account administration, trading and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management and risk management) to certain accounts the Investment Manager manages, including the Funds, other pooled vehicles and separately managed accounts. In some circumstances, a Participating Affiliate may delegate responsibility for providing those services to another Participating Affiliate. In addition, the Investment Manager may provide certain similar services to its Participating Affiliates for accounts they manage.
The Investment Manager believes that harnessing the collective expertise of the firm and its Participating Affiliates will benefit its clients. In this regard, the Investment Manager has certain portfolio management and client servicing teams at both the firm and at Participating Affiliates (through subadvisory or other intercompany arrangements) operating jointly to provide a better client experience. These joint teams use expanded and shared capabilities, including the sharing of research and other information by investment personnel (e.g., portfolio managers and analysts) relating to economic perspectives, market analysis and equity and fixed income securities analysis.
Participating Affiliates may provide certain advisory and trading-related services to certain of the Investment Manager’s accounts, including the Funds. The Investment Manager may also provide similar services to certain accounts of Participating Affiliates. The Investment Manager believes that local trading in certain local markets will benefit its clients, including the Funds. However, such services may result in potential conflicts of interest to such accounts.
The Investment Manager has portfolio management teams in its multiple geographic locations that may share research information regarding leveraged loans. The Investment Manager operates separate and independent trading desks in these locations for the purpose of purchasing and selling leveraged loans. As a result, the Investment Manager does not aggregate orders in leveraged loans across portfolio management teams. For example, funds and other client accounts being managed by these portfolio management teams may purchase and sell the same leveraged loan in the secondary market on the same day at different times and at different prices. There is also the potential for a particular account or group of accounts, including a Fund, to forego an opportunity or to receive a different allocation (either larger or smaller) than might otherwise be obtained if the Investment Manager were to aggregate trades in leveraged loans across the portfolio management teams. Although the Investment Manager does not aggregate orders in leveraged loans across its portfolio management teams in the multiple geographic locations, it operates in this structure subject to its duty to seek best execution.
The Funds may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of portfolio securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of a bidding group. A Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in such Fund’s interests.
The Funds will not execute portfolio transactions through, or buy or sell portfolio securities from or to the Investment Manager and its affiliates acting as principal (including repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements), except to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or order. However, the Investment Manager is authorized to allocate buy and sell orders for portfolio securities to certain broker-dealers and financial institutions, including, in the case of agency transactions, broker-dealers and financial institutions that are affiliated with Ameriprise Financial. To the extent that a Fund executes any securities trades with an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, such Fund does so in conformity with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act and the procedures that such Fund has adopted pursuant to the rule. In this regard, for each transaction, the Board will determine that the transaction is effected in accordance with the Funds’ Rule 17e-1 procedures, which require: (i) the transaction resulted in prices for and execution of securities transactions at least as favorable to the particular Fund as those likely to be derived from a non-affiliated qualified broker-dealer; (ii) the affiliated broker-dealer charged the Fund commission rates consistent with those charged by the affiliated broker-dealer in similar transactions to clients comparable to the Fund and that are not affiliated with the broker-dealer
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in question; and (iii) the fees, commissions or other remuneration paid by the Fund did not exceed 2% of the sales price of the securities if the sale was effected in connection with a secondary distribution, or 1% of the purchase or sale price of such securities if effected in other than a secondary distribution.
Certain affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may have deposit, loan or commercial banking relationships with the corporate users of facilities financed by industrial development revenue bonds or private activity bonds bought by certain of the Funds. Ameriprise Financial or certain of its affiliates may serve as trustee, custodian, tender agent, guarantor, placement agent, underwriter, or in some other capacity, with respect to certain issues of securities. Under certain circumstances, a Fund may buy securities from a member of an underwriting syndicate in which an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial is a member. The Funds have adopted procedures pursuant to Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act, and intend to comply with the requirements of Rule 10f-3, in connection with any purchases of securities that may be subject to Rule 10f-3.
Given the breadth of the Investment Manager’s investment management activities, investment decisions for the Funds are not always made independently from those other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Investment Manager. To the extent permitted by law, when a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of one or more of the Funds and another investment portfolio, investment company or account, the Investment Manager may aggregate the securities to be sold or bought for the Funds with those to be sold or bought for other investment portfolios, investment companies or accounts in executing transactions, and such transactions will be averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount in a manner which the Investment Manager believes to be equitable to the Funds and such other investment portfolio, investment company or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by a Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund.
See Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information about these and other conflicts of interest.
Brokerage Commissions
The following charts reflect the amounts of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the three most recently completed fiscal years. In certain instances, the Funds may pay brokerage commissions to broker-dealers that are affiliates of Ameriprise Financial. As indicated above, all such transactions involving the payment of brokerage commissions to affiliates are done in compliance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.
Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Funds
The following chart reflects the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the three most recently completed fiscal years. Differences, year to year, in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by a Fund were primarily the result of increased market volatility as well as shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
Total Brokerage Commissions
  Total Brokerage Commissions
Fund 2019 2018 2017
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – Aggressive Portfolio $25,683 $55,365 $83,291
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund 103,168 134,124 70,905
VP – Balanced Fund 240,046 357,414 292,408
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 5,679 6,426 18,373
VP – Centersquare Real Estate Fund 534,088 408,011 585,256
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund 0 0 0
VP – Conservative Portfolio 17,052 25,566 28,247
VP – Core Equity Fund 82,779 96,300 117,119
VP – Disciplined Core Fund 2,291,371 2,563,472 3,049,456
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund 525,851 1,664,257 1,085,806
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund 2,074 1,446 790
VP – Emerging Markets Fund 369,599 879,972 1,170,699
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund 3,948 12,284 31,281
VP – Government Money Market Fund 0 0 0
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  Total Brokerage Commissions
Fund 2019 2018 2017
VP – High Yield Bond Fund $826 $3,530 $2,335
VP – Income Opportunities Fund 599 4,234 2,300
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund 445,121 300,320 298,808
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund 320,535 266,935 418,568
VP – Large Cap Index Fund 24,269 23,748 28,576
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund 65,357 46,576 54,273
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 158,155 132,493 453,048
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 292,162 414,032 676,838
VP – MFS Value Fund 176,632 127,570 175,319
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund 0 35,607 451,753
VP – Moderate Portfolio 165,258 355,664 385,408
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 68,931 142,490 215,077
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio 34,089 52,978 70,979
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 529,131 598,347 816,876
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund 1,116,642 1,457,422 1,435,381
VP – Overseas Core Fund 969,462 2,113,982 679,748
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund 0 0 1,050
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund 393,893 423,723 408,242
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund 614,972 1,491,314 3,749,005
VP – Partners International Growth Fund 724,438 728,210 1,142,296
VP – Partners International Value Fund 156,462 355,236 306,378
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 688,372 872,236 916,100
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund 1,023,662 894,593 1,296,914
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund 562,246 369,901(a) N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund 187,473 207,447 208,766
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund 100,092 272,119 219,357
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund 41,348 31,429 73,163
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund 57,073 35,421 78,188
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 268,798 254,894 489,954
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 58,859 70,515 51,446
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 133,447 48,112 110,939
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 243,436 252,119 326,556
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 56,286 22,583 25,584
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 382,305 415,697 362,194
(a) For the period from January 4, 2018 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2018.
Brokerage Commissions Paid to Brokers Affiliated with the Investment Manager
Affiliates of the Investment Manager may engage in brokerage and other securities transactions on behalf of a Fund according to procedures adopted by the Board and to the extent consistent with applicable provisions of the federal securities laws. Subject to approval by the Board, the same conditions apply to transactions with broker-dealer affiliates of any Fund subadviser. The Investment Manager will use an affiliate only if (i) the Investment Manager determines that the Fund will receive prices and executions at least as favorable, under the circumstances, as those offered by qualified independent brokers performing similar brokerage and other services for the Fund and (ii) the affiliate charges the Fund commission rates consistent with those the affiliate charges comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions and if such use is consistent with terms of the Management Agreement.
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No brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds in the last three fiscal periods to brokers affiliated with the Funds' Investment Manager or any subadvisers.
Directed Brokerage
The Funds or the Investment Manager, through an agreement or understanding with a broker-dealer, or otherwise through an internal allocation procedure, may direct, subject to applicable legal requirements, the Funds' brokerage transactions to a broker-dealer because of the research services it provides the Funds or the Investment Manager.
Reported numbers include third party soft dollar commissions and portfolio manager directed commissions directed for research. The Investment Manager also receives proprietary research from brokers, but these amounts have not been included in the table.
During each Fund’s last fiscal year (or period), the Funds directed certain brokerage transactions and paid related commissions in the amounts as follows:
Brokerage Directed for Research
  Brokerage directed for research
Fund Amount of Transactions Amount of Commissions Imputed or Paid
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – Aggressive Portfolio $0 $0
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund 0 0
VP – Balanced Fund 419,214,627 70,563
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund 0 0
VP – Centersquare Real Estate Fund 312,582,002 80,209
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund 0 0
VP – Conservative Portfolio 0 0
VP – Core Equity Fund 104,498,979 14,812
VP – Disciplined Core Fund 2,933,295,018 415,210
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund 752,157,685 128,191
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund 0 0
VP – Emerging Markets Fund 97,374,011 106,014
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund 0 0
VP – Government Money Market Fund 0 0
VP – High Yield Bond Fund 0 0
VP – Income Opportunities Fund 0 0
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund 0 0
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund 1,019,842,268 119,345
VP – Large Cap Index Fund 138,821 242
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund 0 0
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund 309,566,340 87,989
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund 2,663,821,555 58,432
VP – MFS Value Fund 394,636,192 31,171
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund 0 0
VP – Moderate Portfolio 0 0
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio 0 0
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio 0 0
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund 3,614,325,591 151,702
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund 90,422,544 16,656
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  Brokerage directed for research
Fund Amount of Transactions Amount of Commissions Imputed or Paid
VP – Overseas Core Fund $447,831,809 $277,683
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund 0 0
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund 831,346,906 56,198
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund 0 0
VP – Partners International Growth Fund 252,601,040 222,601
VP – Partners International Value Fund 0 0
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund 652,029,623 200,952
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund 643,041,424 693,275
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund 831,926,325 135,297
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund 166,957,756 50,034
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund 135,214,477 30,697
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund 18,002,855 12,146
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund 42,666,108 13,690
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund 733,793,783 46,406
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund 0 0
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund 0 0
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund 470,018,660 138,082
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund 0 0
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund 454,146,839 101,772
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Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers
In certain cases, the Funds, as part of their principal investment strategies, or otherwise as a permissible investment, will invest in the common stock or debt obligations of the regular broker-dealers that the Investment Manager uses to transact brokerage for the Funds.
As of each Fund’s last fiscal year (or period) end, the Funds owned securities of their “regular brokers or dealers” or their parents, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act, as shown in the table below:
Investments in Securities of Regular Brokers or Dealers
Fund Issuer Value of securities owned
at end of fiscal period
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31, 2019
VP – Aggressive Portfolio None N/A
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $5,175,021
Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust $8,351,312
Bear Stearns Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust $3,633,038
Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $3,115,257
Citigroup, Inc. $12,498,441
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage-Backed Pass-Through Certificates $2,052,293
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage-Backed Trust $385,803
Credit Suisse Group AG $2,507,335
Credit Suisse Group Funding Guernsey Ltd. $4,494,789
Goldman Sachs Group $17,083,968
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $27,915,345
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $22,916,818
JPMorgan Mortgage Trust $7,561,845
Merrill Lynch Mortgage Investors Trust $1,340,857
Morgan Stanley $22,547,656
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust $5,049,289
PNC Bank $12,746,380
VP – Balanced Fund Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $2,518,015
Citigroup, Inc. $23,143,690
GS Mortgage Securities Trust $3,079,598
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $25,481,806
Morgan Stanley $13,453,529
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust $2,525,416
Morgan Stanley Capital I, Inc. $2,525,416
PNC Bank NA $920,426
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $1,756,473
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund None N/A
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund None N/A
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund None N/A
VP – Conservative Portfolio None N/A
VP – Core Equity Fund Citigroup, Inc. $4,985,136
Franklin Resources, Inc. $1,283,412
VP – Disciplined Core Fund Citigroup, Inc. $142,699,518
Franklin Resources, Inc. $36,683,760
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Fund Issuer Value of securities owned
at end of fiscal period
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund Citigroup, Inc. $40,743,900
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $69,700,000
Morgan Stanley $12,524,400
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.(The) $11,573,175
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund None N/A
VP – Emerging Markets Fund None N/A
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates $939,529
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $1,150,519
VP – Government Money Market Fund None N/A
VP – High Yield Bond Fund None N/A
VP – Income Opportunities Fund None N/A
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $39,129,683
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates $59,815,753
Credit Suisse Mortgage Trust $5,426,723
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $19,888,658
JPMorgan Resecuritization Trust $317,002
Morgan Stanley $8,564,212
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust $12,774,909
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $9,866,876
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund Citigroup, Inc. $24,425,169
VP – Large Cap Index Fund Ameritrade $949,339
Citigroup, Inc. $7,843,041
E*TRADE Financial Corp. $461,050
Franklin Resources, Inc. $325,737
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $19,660,976
Morgan Stanley $2,827,549
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.(The) $3,145,190
Raymond James & Associates $496,324
The Charles Schwab Corp. $2,444,822
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $3,294,207
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund Goldman Sachs Group $9,758,488
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund None N/A
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund Eaton Vance Corp. $5,032,248
VP – MFS Value Fund Citigroup, Inc. $39,779,228
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $25,886,209
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $77,345,811
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.(The) $23,071,005
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund Raymond James Financial, Inc. $10,685,997
VP – Moderate Portfolio None N/A
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio None N/A
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio None N/A
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund None N/A
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund Citigroup, Inc. $807,238
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $637,646
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $1,662,395
Morgan Stanley $429,681
VP – Overseas Core Fund None N/A
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Fund Issuer Value of securities owned
at end of fiscal period
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund Bear Stearns Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust $271,293
Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust $102,608
Bear Stearns Asset-Backed Securities Trust $253,675
Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $5,632
Chase Funding Trust $1,256,791
Chase Mortgage Finance Corp. $602,378
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust $1,660,912
Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $479,990
Citigroup, Inc. $11,003,748
Citigroup/Deutsche Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust $2,140
Credit Suisse Commercial Mortgage Trust $2,584,635
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. $110,938
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage-Backed Pass-Through Certificates $523,646
Credit Suisse Group AG $2,297,091
Credit Suisse Group Funding Guernsey Ltd. $1,210,732
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates $2,943,458
GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II $2,044,738
GS Mortgage Securities Trust $14,935,690
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $13,301,057
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $398,561
JPMorgan Mortgage Trust $509,612
LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust $207
Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust $1,335,442
Merrill Lynch/Countrywide Commercial Mortgage Trust $3
Morgan Stanley $16,859,494
Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust $911,918
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust $1,796,271
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust $258,634
PNC Bank NA $582,936
The Charles Schwab Corp. $2,880,208
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $13,757,535
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund E*TRADE Financial Corp. $2,690,441
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $25,025,785
Morgan Stanley $15,226,859
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.(The) $20,047,134
Raymond James Financial, Inc. $3,399,480
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund None N/A
VP – Partners International Growth Fund None N/A
VP – Partners International Value Fund Credit Suisse Group AG $2,716,310
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund Primerica, Inc. $1,800,945
Stifel Financial Corp. $1,837,695
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund Piper Jaffray Companies $2,691,660
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund Citigroup, Inc. $30,277,431
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $37,194,429
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 175

 

Fund Issuer Value of securities owned
at end of fiscal period
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund Citigroup, Inc. $49,843,371
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $50,281,580
Morgan Stanley $34,884,288
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund None N/A
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund None N/A
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund None N/A
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund Citigroup, Inc. $11,864,464
Franklin Resources, Inc. $8,049,409
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $77,392,928
Morgan Stanley $46,997,121
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $1,875,430
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage-Backed Pass-Through Certificates $874,155
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates $6,358,142
GS Mortgage-Backed Securities Trust $11,246,513
JPMorgan Chase & Co. $9,479,719
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $2,846,051
JPMorgan Mortgage Acquisition Corp $9,975,022
Merrill Lynch $1,640,923
Merrill Lynch First Franklin Mortgage Loan Trust $3,166,111
Morgan Stanley Mortgage Loan Trust $1,269,785
Raymond James Financial, Inc. (subsidiary) $2,578,442
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. $6,551,912
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust, Inc. $8,626,618
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates $1,593,903
Credit Suisse Mortgage Capital Certificates OA LLC $7,915,740
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $153,959
Morgan Stanley Capital I, Inc. $2,847,295
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund E*TRADE Financial Corp. $10,804,865
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund GS Mortgage Securities Trust $1,456,772
GS Mortgage Securities Corp. Trust $276,976
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust $716,445
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust $81,954
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund None N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 176

 

OTHER PRACTICES
Performance Disclosure
Effective beginning with performance reporting for the December 31, 2011 year end, in presenting performance information for newer share classes, if any, of a Fund, the Fund typically includes, for periods prior to the offering of such share classes, the performance of the Fund’s oldest share class (except as otherwise disclosed), adjusted to reflect any higher class-related operating expenses of the newer share classes, as applicable, based on the expense ratios of those share classes for the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year for which data was available at December 31, 2011 or, for Funds and classes first offered after January 1, 2011, the expected expense differential at the time the newer share class is first offered. Actual expense differentials across classes will vary over time. The performance of the Fund’s newer share classes would have been substantially similar to the performance of the Fund’s oldest share class because all share classes of a Fund are invested in the same portfolio of securities, and would have differed only to the extent that the classes do not have the same sales charges and/or expenses (and any differences in expenses between share classes may change over time).
Prior to December 31, 2011, in presenting performance information for a newer share class of a Fund, the Fund would typically include, for periods prior to the offering of such newer share class, the performance of an older share class, the class-related operating expense structure of which was most similar to that of the newer share class, and for periods prior to the initial offering of such older share class, would include the performance of successively older share classes with successively less similar expense structures. Such performance information was not restated to reflect any differences in expenses between share classes and if such differences had been reflected, the performance shown might have been lower. Because, prior to December 31, 2011, the Funds used a different methodology for presenting performance information for a newer share class, such performance information published before December 31, 2011 may differ from corresponding performance information published after December 31, 2011.
Disclosure of Financial Support for VP – Government Money Market Fund
Disclosure of Financial Support. Effective on October 1, 2016, the Fund is required to disclose any occasions on which an affiliated person, promoter or principal underwriter of the Fund, or an affiliated person of such person, provided any form of financial support to the Fund. For these purposes, the term ‘‘financial support’’ includes any capital contribution, purchase of a security from the Fund in reliance on Rule 17a–9 under the 1940 Act, purchase of any defaulted or devalued security at par, execution of letter of credit or letter of indemnity, capital support agreement (whether or not the Fund ultimately received support), performance guarantee, or any other similar action reasonably intended to increase or stabilize the value or liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio; excluding, however, any routine waiver of fees or reimbursement of Fund expenses, routine inter-fund lending, routine inter-fund purchases of Fund shares, or any action that would qualify as financial support as defined above, that the Board has otherwise determined not to be reasonably intended to increase or stabilize the value or liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund is required to disclose additional information about the receipt of any such financial support on Form N-CR and to file this form with the SEC. Any Form N-CR filing submitted by the Fund is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov.
Portfolio Turnover
A change in the securities held by a Fund is known as “portfolio turnover.” High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. The trading costs associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect a Fund’s performance. For each Fund’s portfolio turnover rate, see the Fees and Expenses of the Fund — Portfolio Turnover section in the prospectuses for that Fund.
In any particular year, market conditions may result in greater rates than are presently anticipated. The rate of a Fund’s turnover may vary significantly from time to time depending on, among other factors, economic, market and other conditions.
See below for an explanation of any significant variation in a Fund’s portfolio turnover rates over the two most recently completed fiscal years:
For VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a lower rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to the low volatility market during the period.
For VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a lower rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to changes made to the Fund’s portfolio management team, which became effective in February 2018.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 177

 

For VP – Overseas Core Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a lower rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to changes made to the Fund’s principal investment strategies associated with a change to the portfolio management team, which became effective on May 1, 2018.
For VP – Partners Core Equity Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a higher rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to changes made to the Fund’s principal investment strategies associated with the change in subadvisers, which became effective on May 20, 2019.
For VP – Partners International Growth Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a higher rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to changes made to the Fund’s principal investment strategies associated with the change in subadviser, which became effective on May 20, 2019.
For VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a lower rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to changes made to the Fund’s portfolio management team and principal investment strategy, which became effective on May 1, 2019.
For VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, the Fund experienced a higher rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year. This was primarily due to rolling-maturity mortgage securities, processing of prepayments and opportunistic changes the portfolio managers made at the margin in response to valuations or market developments.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information
The Board and the Investment Manager believe that the investment ideas of the Investment Manager and any subadviser with respect to portfolio management of a Fund should seek to benefit the Fund and its shareholders, and do not want to afford speculators an opportunity to profit by anticipating Fund trading strategies. However, the Board also believes that selective disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings can, under appropriate circumstances, be made for purposes beneficial to the Fund and its shareholders or for other purposes under conditions that are designed to protect the interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
The Board has therefore adopted policies and procedures relating to disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio securities. These policies and procedures are intended to protect the confidentiality of Fund portfolio holdings information and generally prohibit the release of such information until such information is made available to the general public, unless such persons have been authorized to receive such information on a selective basis, as described below. It is the policy of the Fund not to provide or permit others to provide portfolio holdings on a selective basis, and the Investment Manager does not intend to selectively disclose portfolio holdings or expect that such holdings information will be selectively disclosed, except where necessary for the Fund’s operation or where there are other legitimate business purposes for doing so and, in any case, where conditions are met that are designed to protect the interests of the Funds and their shareholders.
Although the Investment Manager seeks to limit the selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information and such selective disclosure is monitored under the Fund’s compliance program for conformity with the policies and procedures, there can be no assurance that these policies will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information. Under no circumstances may the Investment Manager, its affiliates or any employee thereof receive any consideration or compensation for disclosing such holdings information.
Public Disclosures
The Funds’ portfolio holdings are currently disclosed to the public through filings with the SEC and postings on the Funds’ website. The information is available on the Funds’ website as described below.
For equity, alternative and flexible funds (other than the equity funds identified below) and funds-of-funds (equity and fixed income), a complete list of Fund portfolio holdings as of month-end is posted approximately, but no earlier than, 15 calendar days after such month-end.
For Columbia Small Cap Growth Fund I and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Small Company Growth Fund, a complete list of Fund portfolio holdings as of month-end is posted approximately, but no earlier than, 30 calendar days after such month-end.
For fixed-income Funds (other than money market funds), a complete list of Fund portfolio holdings as of calendar quarter-end is posted approximately, but no earlier than, 30 calendar days after such quarter-end.
For money market Funds, a complete list of Fund portfolio holdings as of month-end is posted no later than five business days after such month-end. Such month-end holdings are continuously available on the website for at least six months, together with a link to an SEC webpage where a user of the website may obtain access to the Fund’s most recent 12 months of publicly available filings on Form N-MFP. Money market Fund portfolio holdings information posted on the website, at minimum, includes with respect to each holding, the name of the issuer, the category of investment (e.g., Treasury debt, government agency debt, asset backed commercial paper, structured investment vehicle note), the CUSIP number (if any), the principal amount, the maturity date (as determined under Rule 2a-7 for purposes of calculating weighted average maturity),
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 178

 

  the final maturity date (if different from the maturity date previously described), coupon or yield and the value. The money market Funds will also disclose on the website its overall weighted average maturity, weighted average life maturity, percentage of daily liquid assets, percentage of weekly liquid assets and daily inflows and outflows.
Portfolio holdings of Funds owned solely by the Investment Manager or its affiliates are not disclosed on the website. A complete schedule of each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available semiannually and annually in shareholder reports filed on Form N-CSR and, after the first and third fiscal quarters, in regulatory filings on Form N-PORT, and for reporting periods ending prior to March 31, 2019, on Form N-Q. These shareholder reports and regulatory filings are filed with the SEC in accordance with federal securities laws. Shareholders may obtain each Fund’s Form N-CSR, N-PORT and N-Q filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
In addition, the Investment Manager makes publicly available information regarding certain Fund’s largest five to fifteen holdings, as a percentage of the market value of the Funds’ portfolios as of a month-end. This holdings information is made publicly available through the website columbiathreadneedleus.com, approximately 15 calendar days following the month-end. The scope of the information that is made available on the Funds’ websites pursuant to the Funds’ policies may change from time to time without prior notice. Certain fund marketing material, such as fund fact sheets, containing the largest five to fifteen holdings may be made available earlier than 15 days following month end. This information may not be available on the website for all Funds included in this SAI.
The Investment Manager may also disclose more current portfolio holdings information as of specified dates on the Funds’ website.
The Funds, the Investment Manager and their affiliates may include portfolio holdings information that already has been made public through a website posting or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders, advisors or other parties, provided that the information is disclosed no earlier than when the information is disclosed publicly on the funds’ website or no earlier than the time a fund files such information in a publicly available SEC filing required to include such information.
Other Disclosures
The Funds’ policies and procedures provide that no disclosures of the Funds’ portfolio holdings may be made prior to the portfolio holdings information being made available to the general public unless (i) the Funds have a legitimate business purpose for making such disclosure, (ii) the Funds or their authorized agents authorize such non-public disclosure of information, and (iii) the party receiving the non-public information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement or is otherwise subject to a confidentiality obligation.
In determining the existence of a legitimate business purpose for making portfolio disclosures, the following factors, among others, are considered: (i) any prior disclosure must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties of the Investment Manager; (ii) any conflicts of interest between the interests of Fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Investment Manager, the Funds’ Distributor or any affiliated person of a Fund, the Investment Manager or Distributor on the other; and (iii) any prior disclosure to a third party, although subject to a confidentiality agreement, would not make conduct lawful that is otherwise unlawful.
Fund complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among the following persons (collectively, Affiliates and Agents) for legitimate business purposes within the scope of their official duties and responsibilities, subject to Fund policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of inside information, by agreement, or under applicable laws, rules, and regulations: (1) persons who are subject to the Code of Ethics or policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of inside information; (2) an investment adviser, distributor, administrator, transfer agent, or custodian to the Fund; (3) an accounting firm, an auditing firm, or outside legal counsel retained by the Investment Manager or its affiliates, or the Fund; (4) an investment adviser to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes when the adviser is in merger or acquisition talks with a the Investment Manager or its parent company; and (5) a newly hired subadviser to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed prior to the time it commences its duties.
The frequency with which complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among Affiliates and Agents, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed between and among the Affiliates and Agents, is determined by such Affiliates and Agents based on the facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the nature of the portfolio holdings information to be disclosed, the risk of harm to the Funds and their shareholders, and the legitimate business purposes served by such disclosure. The frequency of disclosure between and among Affiliates and Agents varies and may be as frequent as daily, with no lag. Any disclosure of Fund complete portfolio holdings to any Affiliates and Agents as previously described may also include a list of the other investment positions that make up the Fund, such as cash investments and derivatives.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 179

 

The Funds also disclose portfolio holdings information as required by federal, state or international securities laws, and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities, or in connection with litigation or potential litigation, a restructuring of a holding, where such disclosure is necessary to participate or explore participation in a restructuring of the holding (e.g., as part of a bondholder group), or to the issuer of a holding, pursuant to a request of the issuer or any other party who is duly authorized by the issuer.
In certain limited situations, the Funds may provide portfolio holdings to an institutional client (or its custodian or other agent) when the client is effecting a redemption in-kind from a Fund and the Investment Manager believes that such disclosure will not be harmful to the Fund. In these situations, the Investment Manager makes it clear through non-disclosure agreements or other means that the recipient must ensure that the confidential information is used only as necessary to effect the redemption-in-kind and will maintain the information in a manner designed to protect against unauthorized access or misuse.
The Board has adopted policies to ensure that the Fund’s portfolio holdings information is only disclosed in accordance with these policies. Before any selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information is permitted, the person seeking to disclose such holdings information must submit a written request to the Portfolio Holdings Committee (“PHC”). The PHC, which is chaired by the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer, is comprised of members from the Investment Manager’s legal department and compliance department, and the Funds’ President. The PHC is authorized by the Board to perform an initial review of requests for disclosure of holdings information to evaluate whether there is a legitimate business purpose for selective disclosure, whether selective disclosure is in the best interests of a Fund and its shareholders, to consider any potential conflicts of interest between the Fund, the Investment Manager, and its affiliates, and to safeguard against improper use of holdings information. Factors considered in this analysis are whether the recipient has agreed to or has a duty to keep the holdings information confidential and whether risks have been mitigated such that the recipient has agreed or has a duty to use the holdings information only as necessary to effectuate the purpose for which selective disclosure may be authorized. Before portfolio holdings may be selectively disclosed, requests approved by the PHC must also be authorized by the Funds’ President, Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer or their respective designees. On at least an annual basis, the PHC reviews the approved recipients of selective disclosure and may require a resubmission of the request, in order to re-authorize certain ongoing arrangements. These procedures are intended to be reasonably designed to protect the confidentiality of Fund holdings information and to prohibit their release to individual investors, institutional investors, intermediaries that distribute the Fund’s shares, and other parties, until such holdings information is made public or unless such persons have been authorized to receive such holdings information on a selective basis, as set forth above.
Ongoing Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Arrangements
The Funds currently have ongoing arrangements with certain approved recipients with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information prior to such information being made public. Portfolio holdings information disclosed to such recipients is current as of the time of its disclosure, is disclosed to each recipient solely for purposes consistent with the services described below and has been authorized in accordance with the policy. No compensation or consideration is received in exchange for this information. In addition to the daily information provided to a Fund’s custodians, subcustodians, Investment Manager and subadvisers, the following disclosure arrangements are in place:
Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
Recipients under arrangements with the Funds or Investment Manager:    
Allvue Systems Company   Used for front office trading, bank loan analytics, and compliance.   Daily
BlackRock, Inc.   Used for front office trading, risk and analytics as well as back office settlements and trade routing.   Daily
Bloomberg Finance L.P.   Used for portfolio analytics, statistical analysis and independent research.   Daily
Bolger, Inc.   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Boston Investors Communications Group, LLC (BICG)   Used for writing services that require disclosing portfolio holdings in advance of their dissemination to the general public.   Monthly
Capital Markets Services (CMS) Group   Used for intraday post-trade information when equity exposures (either via futures or options trades) are modified beyond certain limits for VP – Managed Volatility Funds.   As Needed
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 180

 

Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
Catapult ME, Inc.   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Citigroup, Inc.   Used for mortgage decision support.   Daily
Compliance Solutions Strategies LLC   Used to report returns and analytics to client facing materials.   Monthly
Curtis 1000   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Donnelley Financial Solutions   Used to provide Edgar filing and typesetting services, and printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports.   As Needed
DS Graphics, Inc.   Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports.   As Needed
Elevation Exhibits & Events   Used for trade show exhibits.   As Needed
Equifax, Inc.   Used to ensure that Columbia Management does not violate the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanction requirements.   Daily
Ernst & Young, LLP   Used to analyze PFIC investments.   Monthly
Eze Software Group, LLC   Used to facilitate the evaluation of commission rates and to provide flexible commission reporting.   Daily
FactSet Research Systems, Inc.   Used to calculate portfolio performance attribution, portfolio analytics, data for fundamental research, and general market news and analysis.   Daily
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.   Used as portfolio accounting system.   Daily
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., as agent to KPMG LLP   Holdings by Columbia Contrarian Core Fund and Columbia High Yield Bond Fund in certain audit clients of KPMG LLP to assist the accounting firm in complying with its regulatory obligations relating to independence of its audit clients.   Monthly
Harte-Hanks, Inc.   Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports.   As Needed
IHS Markit, Ltd.   Used for an asset database for analytics and investor reporting.   As Needed
Imagine! Print Solutions   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS)   Used for proxy voting administration and research on proxy matters.   Daily
Intex Solutions Inc.   Used to provide mortgage analytics.   Periodic
Investment Company Institute (ICI)   Disclosure of Form N-PORT data.   As Needed
Investment Technology Group, Inc.   Used to evaluate and assess trading activity, execution and practices.   Quarterly
Investortools, Inc.   Used for municipal bond analytics, research and decision support.   As Needed
JDP Marketing Services   Used to write or edit Columbia Fund shareholder reports, quarterly fund commentaries, and communications, including shareholder letters and management’s discussion of Columbia Fund performance.   As Needed
John Roberts, Inc.   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 181

 

Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
Kendall Press   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
KPMG US LLP   Used to provide tax services.   Daily
Kynex, Inc.   Used to provide portfolio attribution reports for the Columbia Convertible Securities Fund. Used also for portfolio analytics.   Daily
Malaspina Communications, LLC   Used to facilitate writing management’s discussion of Columbia Fund performance for Columbia Fund shareholder reports and periodic marketing communications.   Monthly
Merrill Corporation   Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports.   As Needed
Morningstar Investment Services, LLC   Used for independent research and ranking of funds. Used also for statistical analysis.   As Needed
MSCI, Inc.   Used as a hosted risk analytics platform designed for research, investment oversight and strategy development.   Daily
NASDAQ   Used to evaluate and assess trading activity, execution and practices.   Daily
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co.   Used to provide printing prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
RegEd, Inc.   Used to review external and certain internal communications prior to dissemination.   Daily
Sustainalytics US, Inc.   Used for reviewing the impact of Columbia U.S. Social Bond Fund's municipal investments and providing ESG ratings.   Quarterly
S.W.I.F.T. Scrl.   Used to send trade messages via SWIFT to custodians.   Daily
Thomson Reuters Corp.   Used for statistical analysis.   As Needed
Visions, Inc.   Used for commercial printing.   As Needed
Wilshire Associates, Inc.   Used to provide performance attribution reporting.   Daily
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 182

 

Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
Recipients under arrangements with subadvisers:    
AccuSource LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for custodian reconciliation.   Daily
Ashland Partners & Co. LLP   Used by certain subadvisers for audit and Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS) evaluation.   Annually
Axioma, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for analytics and attribution analysis.   Daily
BlackRock, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for analytical and statistical information.   Daily
Bloomberg Finance L.P.   Used by certain subadvisers for trade management/compliance. Used by certain subadvisers for analytical and statistical information. Used by certain subadvisers for analytical, portfolio management, and statistical information. Used by certain subadvisers for analytics, risk, attribution and client reporting.   Daily
BNY Mellon Corp.   Used by certain subadvisers for fund accounting and middle-office functions.   Daily
Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.   Used by certain subadvisers for electronic trade transmission and settlement.   Daily
Citibank N.A.   Used by certain subadvisers for middle office functions.   Daily
Clearwater Analytics, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for client reporting.   Daily
Eagle Investment Systems, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio accounting systems.   Daily
Electra Information Systems, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for electronic reconciliations of portfolio holdings.   Daily or Monthly
Euronext N.V.   Used by certain subadvisers for operational efficiency.   Daily
eVestment Alliance, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for updating databases.   Quarterly
FactSet Research Systems, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for analytical and statistical information.   Daily
Fidelity Corporate Actions Solutions, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for corporate actions management.   Daily
Financial Recovery Technologies LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for class action monitoring services.   Quarterly
Financial Tracking Technologies LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for compliance monitoring.   Daily
FX Connect, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for foreign exchange derivatives reconciliation.   Daily
FX Transparency LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for foreign exchange trade cost analysis.   Quarterly
Global Trading Analytics, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for transaction cost analysis and other analytics.   Daily
Goldman Sachs & Co.   Used by certain subadvisers for clearing treasury futures and swaps.   Daily
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 183

 

Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
ICE Data Services Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for liquidity reporting. Used by certain subadvisers for data and pricing.   Daily
IHS Markit Ltd.   Used by certain subadvisers for confirmation and settlement of bank loan trades. Used by certain subadvisers for transaction cost analysis and other analytics. Used by certain subadvisers for matching credit default swaps and interest rate swaps.   Daily
Infinit-O Global, Ltd.   Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio accounting systems.   Daily
Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for proxy voting administration and research services.   Daily
LiquidNet, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for commission tracking.   Daily
MSCI Barra Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for analytical and statistical information.   Daily or Monthly
Nex Group plc   Used by certain subadvisers for daily reconciliations on collateral management.   Daily
Omgeo LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for trade execution and SWIFT transactions. Used by certain subadvisers for analytics.   Daily
S&P Global Corp.   Used by certain subadvisers for market data.   Daily
Schwab Compliance Technologies, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for compliance and personal trade monitoring.   Daily
SEI Investments Co.   Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio accounting systems.   Daily
Seismic Software, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers to automate quarterly updates.   Quarterly
SS&C Technologies, Inc.   Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio accounting systems. Used by certain subadvisers for SWIFT messages from custodians to facilitate automated reconciliation.   Daily
State Street Bank and Trust Company   Used by certain subadvisers for middle office functions.   Daily or Monthly
State Street Corp.   Used by certain subadvisers for order management and compliance.   Daily
STP Investment Services, LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio accounting systems.   Daily
Trade Informatics LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for transaction cost analysis and other analytics. Used by certain subadvisers for asset allocation.   Daily
Tradeweb Markets LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for confirming TBAs, treasuries and discount notes.   Daily
VERMEG Co.   Used by certain subadvisers for the management of swap counterparty exposure.   Daily
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 184

 

Identity of Recipient   Conditions/restrictions on use of information   Frequency of
Disclosure
Virtu ITG LLC   Used by certain subadvisers for transaction cost analysis and other analytics. Used by certain subadvisers for portfolio analytics, compliance monitoring, trading and recordkeeping system purposes.   Daily or Monthly
In addition, portfolio holdings information may be provided from time to time to the Funds’ counsel, counsel to the independent trustees and the Funds’ independent auditors in connection with the services they provide to the Funds or the trustees. Portfolio holdings information may also be provided to affiliates of the Investment Manager to monitor risks and various holdings limitations that must be aggregated with affiliated funds and accounts, among other purposes. The Investment Manager and the subadvisers use a variety of broker-dealers and other agents to effect securities transactions on behalf of the Funds. These broker-dealers may become aware of the Funds’ intentions, transactions and positions in performing their functions.
Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments
The Funds, along with the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and the Investment Manager, may pay significant amounts to financial intermediaries, including other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for providing shareholder services, including the types of services that would otherwise be provided directly by a mutual fund’s transfer agent. The level of payments made to financial intermediaries may vary by financial intermediary and according to distribution channel. A number of factors may be considered in determining payments to a financial intermediary, including, without limitation, the nature of the services provided to Contract owners, Qualified Plans and other qualified institutional investors authorized by the Distributor. These services may include sub-accounting, sub-transfer agency, Contract owner or participant recordkeeping, Contract owner or participant reporting, Contract owner or participant transaction processing, maintaining Contract owner or participant records, preparing account statements and/or the provision of call center support and other customer services.
The Funds pay a service fee equal to all or a portion of the payments made by the Transfer Agent to Participating Insurance Companies and other financial intermediaries for services they provide to clients, customers and participants investing directly or indirectly in the Funds up to a cap approved by the Board from time to time. The service fee borne by a Fund will vary based on the terms of the service arrangement between the Transfer Agent and the Participating Insurance Companies and other financial intermediaries whose clients, customers or participants are invested directly or indirectly in the Fund. Funds that invest in other Columbia Funds will bear their own service fees as well as their proportionate share of the service fee paid by any Columbia Fund in which they invest. This service fee includes payments to the insurance companies affiliated with the Investment Manager and may also be paid to Participating Insurance Companies investing in a fund that invests in a Columbia Fund as an underlying fund. The Transfer Agent, the Distributor and/or their affiliates may pay, from its or their own resources, amounts in excess of the amount paid by the Funds to financial intermediaries in connection with the provision of these additional shareholder services and other services. Such payments may include payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts through the NSCC.
In addition, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may make lump sum payments to selected financial intermediaries receiving shareholder servicing payments as compensation for the costs of printing literature for Contract owners or participants, account maintenance fees or fees for establishment of the Funds on the financial intermediary’s system or other similar services.
As of April 2020, the Transfer Agent and/or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates had agreed to make shareholder servicing payments with respect to the Funds to the financial intermediaries or their affiliates shown below.
Recipients of Shareholder Servicing Payments Relating to the Funds from the Transfer Agent and/or other Ameriprise Financial Affiliates
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York
American General Life Insurance Company
American United Life Insurance Company
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp
Ameritas Life Insurance Corp of New York
Delaware Life Insurance Co of New York
Delaware Life Insurance Company
Equitrust Life Insurance Company
Farm, Bureau Life Insurance Company
Genworth Life & Annuity Insurance
Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York
Great West Life & Annuity Company
Great West Life & Annuity Company of New York
Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company
Independence Life & Annuity Co
Integrity Life Insurance Company
Jefferson National Life Insurance Company
Jefferson National Life Insurance Company of New York
Liberty Life Assurance Company
 
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Lincoln Life & Annuity Company of New York
MEMBERS Life Insurance Company/CUNA
Midland National Life Insurance Company
National Integrity Life Insurance Company
Nationwide Financial Services, Inc.
New York Life Insurance & Annuity Corporation
Principal Life Insurance Company
Principal National Life Insurance Company
Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation
RiverSource Life Insurance Company*
RiverSource Life Insurance Co. of New York*
Security Benefit Life Insurance
Symetra Life Insurance Company
The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company
The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York
Transamerica Life Insurance Company
Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company
Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company
Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company of New York
Transamerica Premier Life Insurance Company
Voya Insurance & Annuity Company
Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity Company

* Ameriprise Financial affiliate
The Transfer Agent, the Distributor, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates may enter into similar arrangements with other financial intermediaries from time to time. Therefore, the preceding list is subject to change at any time without notice.
Additional Payments to Financial Intermediaries
Financial intermediaries may receive different commissions, sales charge reallowances and other payments with respect to sales of shares of the Funds. These other payments may include shareholder servicing payments to retirement plan administrators and other institutions in amounts described above under Other Practices – Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments.
The Distributor and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may pay additional compensation to selected financial intermediaries, including other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, under the categories described below. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and a single financial intermediary may receive payments under all categories. A financial intermediary also may receive lump sum payments described above under Other Practices – Additional Shareholder Servicing Payments. Such payments may create an incentive for a financial intermediary or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of a Fund to its customers. The amount of payments made to financial intermediaries may vary. In determining the amount of payments to be made, the Distributor and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may consider a number of factors, including, without limitation, asset mix and length of relationship with the financial intermediary, the size of the customer/shareholder base of the financial intermediary, the manner in which customers of the financial intermediary make investments in the Funds, the nature and scope of marketing support or services provided by the financial intermediary (as described more fully below) and the costs incurred by the financial intermediary in connection with maintaining the infrastructure necessary or desirable to support investments in the Funds.
These additional payments by the Distributor and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates are made pursuant to agreements between the Distributor and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and financial intermediaries, and do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a Fund share, or the amount a Fund will receive as proceeds from such sales or the distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund as shown under the heading Fees and Expenses of the Fund in the Fund’s prospectuses.
Marketing Support Payments
The Distributor, the Investment Manager and/or their affiliates make payments, from their own resources, to certain financial intermediaries, including other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, for marketing support services relating to the Columbia Funds, including, but not limited to, business planning assistance, educating financial intermediary personnel about the Funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the financial intermediary’s preferred or recommended fund list or otherwise identifying the Funds as being part of a complex to be accorded a higher degree of marketing support than complexes not making such payments, access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the financial intermediary, client servicing and systems infrastructure support and data analytics. Not all financial intermediaries receive marketing support payments. These payments are generally based upon one or more of the following factors: average net assets of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary, gross sales of the Columbia Funds distributed by the Distributor attributable to that financial intermediary, compensation for ticket charges (fees that a financial intermediary firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in Fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment.
While the financial arrangements may vary for each financial intermediary, the marketing support payments to each financial intermediary generally are expected to be between 0.05% and 0.40% on an annual basis for payments based on average net assets of the Funds attributable to the financial intermediary and between 0.05% and 0.25% on an annual basis for firms receiving a payment based on gross sales of the Funds attributable to the financial intermediary. The Distributor, the Investment
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Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates make payments with respect to a Fund or the Columbia Funds in materially larger amounts or on a basis materially different from those described above when dealing with certain financial intermediaries. Such increased payments may enable the financial intermediaries to offset credits that they may provide to their customers.
Other Payments
From time to time, the Distributor, from its own resources and not as an expense of the Fund, typically provides additional compensation to certain financial intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Funds to the extent not prohibited by laws or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Such compensation provided by the Distributor includes financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable the Distributor to participate in and/or present at financial intermediary-sponsored conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other financial intermediary employees, financial intermediary entertainment and other financial intermediary-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. The Distributor makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to the Distributor’s internal guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees or commissions in addition to those disclosed in this SAI. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending a particular fund, including the Funds, or a particular share class over other funds or share classes. See Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.
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CAPITAL STOCK AND OTHER SECURITIES
Description of the Trust's Shares
The Trust may issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of each Fund, without par value, and to divide or combine the shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of shares of that Fund without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in that Fund and to divide such shares into classes. Most of the Funds are authorized to issue multiple classes of shares. Such classes are designated as Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. A Fund offers only those classes of shares listed on the cover of its prospectuses. Each share of a class of a Fund represents an equal proportional interest in that Fund with each other share in the same class and is entitled to such distributions out of the income earned on the assets belonging to that Fund as are declared in the discretion of the Board. However, different share classes of a Fund pay different distribution amounts because each share class has different expenses. Each time a distribution is made, the net asset value per share of the share class is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
Subject to certain limited exceptions discussed in each Fund’s prospectuses and in this SAI, a Fund may no longer be accepting new investments from current shareholders or prospective investors in general or with respect to one or more classes of shares. The Funds, however, may at any time and without notice, accept new investments in general or with respect to one or more previously closed classes of shares.
If investors other than Participating Insurance Companies, Separate Accounts, Qualified Plans or certain other eligible investors were to purchase shares in a Fund, VA contracts or VLI policies funded by that Fund could lose their favorable tax status. See “Taxation” below.
Restrictions on Holding or Disposing of Shares
There are no restrictions on the right of shareholders to retain or dispose of the Funds' shares, other than the possible future termination of the Funds or the relevant class, except that the Funds may redeem Fund shares of shareholders holding less than any minimum or more than any maximum investment from time to time established by the Board. The Funds or any class of shares of the Funds may be terminated by reorganization into another mutual fund or by liquidation and distribution of their assets. Unless terminated by reorganization or liquidation, the Funds and classes will continue indefinitely.
Shareholder Liability
The Trust is organized as a business trust under Massachusetts law. Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims any shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Funds and the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by a Fund or the Trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of Fund property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of a Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances (which are considered remote) in which a Fund would be unable to meet its obligations and the disclaimer was inoperative. The risk of a Fund incurring financial loss on account of another series of the Trust also is believed to be remote, because it would be limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer was inoperative and the other series of the Trust was unable to meet its obligations.
Dividend Rights
The shareholders of a Fund are entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions declared for the Fund. No shares have priority or preference over any other shares of the Funds with respect to distributions. Distributions will be made from the assets of the Funds, and will be paid pro rata to all shareholders of each Fund (or class) according to the number of shares of each Fund (or class) held by shareholders on the record date. The amount of income dividends per share may vary between separate share classes of the Funds based upon differences in the way that expenses are allocated between share classes pursuant to a multiple class plan.
Voting Rights and Shareholder Meetings
Shareholders have the power to vote only as expressly granted under the 1940 Act or under Massachusetts business trust law. Each whole share (or fractional share) outstanding on the record date shall be entitled to a number of votes on any matter on which it is entitled to vote equal to the net asset value of the share (or fractional share) in U.S. dollars determined at the close of business on the record date (for example, a share having a net asset value of $10.50 would be entitled to 10.5 votes).
Shareholders have no independent right to vote on any matter, including the creation, operation, dissolution or termination of the Trust. Shareholders have the right to vote on other matters only as the Board authorizes. Currently, the 1940 Act requires that shareholders have the right to vote, under certain circumstances, to: (i) elect Trustees; (ii) approve investment advisory agreements; (iii) approve a change in subclassification of a Fund; (iv) approve any change in fundamental investment policies;
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(v) approve a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) to terminate the independent accountant. With respect to matters that affect one class but not another, shareholders vote as a class; for example, the approval of a distribution plan applicable to that class is voted on by holders of that class of shares. Subject to the foregoing, all shares of a Trust have equal voting rights and will be voted in the aggregate, and not by Fund, except where voting by Fund is required by law or where the matter involved only affects one Fund. For example, a change in a Fund’s fundamental investment policy affects only one Fund and would be voted upon only by shareholders of the Fund involved. Additionally, approval of an investment advisory agreement or, if shareholder approval is required under exemptive relief, investment subadvisory agreement, since it only affects one Fund, is a matter to be determined separately by each Fund. Approval by the shareholders of one Fund is effective as to that Fund whether or not sufficient votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve the proposal as to those Funds. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each whole share held and a proportional fractional vote for each fractional vote held, on matters on which they are entitled to vote. Fund shareholders do not have cumulative voting rights. The Trust is not required to hold, and has no present intention of holding, annual meetings of shareholders. Special meetings may be called for certain purposes.
Certain Participating Insurance Companies have voting rights with respect to all Fund shares held in the separate accounts where the Participating Insurance Companies set aside and invest the assets of certain of their VA contracts or VLI policies. To the extent a matter is to be voted upon by Fund shareholders and to the extent required by federal securities laws or regulations, it is expected that the Participating Insurance Companies will: (i) notify each VA contract owner and VLI policy holder (each an “Owner” and collectively, the “Owners”) of the shareholder meeting if shares held for that Owner’s contract or policy may be voted; (ii) send proxy materials and a form of instructions that each Owner can use to tell its Participating Insurance Company how to vote the Fund shares held for such contract or policy; (iii) arrange for the handling and tallying of proxies received from the Owners; (iv) vote all Fund shares attributable to each Owner’s contract or policy according to instructions received from such Owner; and (v) vote all Fund shares for which no voting instructions are received in the same proportion as shares for which instructions have been received.
For further discussion of the rights of Owners and Qualified Plan participants concerning the voting of shares, please see your annuity or life insurance contract prospectus or Qualified Plan disclosure documents, as applicable.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or a Fund, all shares have equal rights and shareholders of a Fund are entitled to a proportionate share of the assets of the Fund that are available for distribution and to a distribution of any general assets not attributable to a particular Fund that are available for distribution in such manner and on such basis as the Board may determine.
Preemptive Rights
There are no preemptive rights associated with Fund shares.
Conversion Rights
Conversion features and exchange privileges, if applicable, are described in the Funds’ prospectuses.
Redemptions
The Fund’s dividend, distribution and redemption policies can be found in its prospectus. However, the Board may suspend the right of shareholders to sell shares when permitted or required to do so by law or compel sales of shares in certain cases.
Sinking Fund Provisions
The Trust has no sinking fund provisions.
Calls or Assessment
All Fund shares are issued in uncertificated form only and when issued will be fully paid and non-assessable by its Trust.
Conduct of the Trust's Business
Forum Selection. The Trust’s Bylaws provide that the sole and exclusive forums for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring (i) any action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any of its Trustees, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the statutory or common law of the state in which the Trust is organized or any federal securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be within the federal or state courts in the state in which the Trust is organized.
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This forum selection provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the shareholder finds favorable for disputes with the Trust and/or any of its Trustees, officers, employees or service providers. If a court were to find the forum selection provision contained in the Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, the Trust may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
Derivative and Direct Claims of Shareholders. The Trust’s Bylaws contain provisions regarding derivative and direct claims of shareholders. As used in the Bylaws, a “direct” shareholder claim refers to (i) a claim based upon alleged violations of a shareholder’s individual rights independent of any harm to the Trust, including a shareholder’s voting rights under the Bylaws; rights to receive a dividend payment as may be declared from time to time; rights to inspect books and records; or other similar rights personal to the shareholder and independent of any harm to the Trust; and (ii) a claim for which a direct shareholder action is expressly provided under the U.S. federal securities laws. Any other claim asserted by a shareholder, including without limitation any claims purporting to be brought on behalf of the Trust or involving any alleged harm to the Trust, is considered a “derivative” claim as used in the Bylaws.
A shareholder may not bring or maintain any court action or other proceeding asserting a derivative claim or any claim asserted on behalf of the Trust or involving any alleged harm to the Trust without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such action, proceeding or claim. Such demand shall not be excused under any circumstances, including claims of alleged interest on the part of the Trustees, unless the shareholder makes a specific showing that irreparable nonmonetary injury to the Trust would otherwise result.
The Trustees of the Trust shall consider any demand or request within 90 days of its receipt by the Trust or inform claimants within such time that further review and consideration is required, in which case the Trustees shall have an additional 120 days to respond. In their sole discretion, the Trustees may submit the matter to a vote of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class of shares, as appropriate. Any decision by the Trustees to settle or to authorize (or not to settle or to authorize) such court action, proceeding or claim, or to submit the matter to a vote of shareholders, shall be binding upon the shareholder seeking authorization.
Any person purchasing or otherwise holding any interest in shares of beneficial interest of the Trust will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. These provisions may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim against the Trustees, officers or other employees of the Trust and/or its service providers.
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Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares
Purchase and Redemption
An investor may buy, sell and transfer shares in the Funds utilizing the methods, and subject to the restrictions, described in the Funds’ prospectuses. The following information supplements information in the Funds’ prospectuses.
Fund shares are made available to serve as the underlying investment vehicles for VA contract and VLI policy separate accounts issued by Participating Insurance Companies, for Qualified Plans and for certain other eligible investors. Shares of the Funds are sold at net asset value without the imposition of a sales charge. The separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies or Qualified Plan sponsor place orders to purchase and redeem shares of the Funds based on, among other things, the amount of premium payments to be invested and the amount of surrender and transfer requests to be effected on that day pursuant to the contracts. In addition, in no instance will the Funds be made available to life insurance separate accounts without the Trust having received any necessary SEC consents or approvals. It is conceivable that in the future it may be disadvantageous for VA contract separate accounts and VLI policy separate accounts to invest in the Funds simultaneously. Although the Trust and the Funds do not currently foresee any such disadvantages either to VA contract owners or VLI policy owners, the Trust’s Board intends to monitor events in order to identify any material conflicts between such VA contract owners and VLI policy owners and to determine what action, if any, should be taken in response thereto. If the Board were to conclude that separate funds should be established for VLI policy and VA contract separate accounts, the VLI policy and VA contract owners would not bear any expenses attendant to the establishment of such separate funds.
Purchases and redemptions of shares of the Funds may be effected on a Business Day. The Trust and the Distributor reserve the right to reject any purchase or redemption order. The issuance of shares is recorded on the books of the Trust, and share certificates are not issued. Purchase orders for shares in the Funds that are received by the Distributor or by the Transfer Agent before the end of the Business Day (typically 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) are priced according to the net asset value determined on that day but are not executed until 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Business Day on which immediately available funds in payment of the purchase price are received by the Fund’s Custodian. Redemption orders for sales of Fund shares received in good form (as defined in the Fund's prospectus) by the Distributor or by the Transfer Agent before the end of the Business Day are priced according to the net asset value determined on that day. The Business Day that applies to your purchase or redemption order is also called the trade date.
Redemption proceeds are normally remitted in Federal funds wired to the redeeming Participating Insurance Company or Qualified Plan sponsor within two Business Days following receipt of the order. It is the responsibility of the Distributor to transmit orders it receives to the Trust. No charge for wiring redemption payments is imposed by the Trust. Redemption orders are effected at the net asset value per share next determined after acceptance of the order by the Transfer Agent.
Should a Fund stop selling shares, the Board may make a deduction from the value of the assets held by the Fund to cover the cost of future liquidations of the assets so as to distribute these costs fairly among all shareholders.
The Trust also may make payment for sales in readily marketable securities or other property if it is appropriate to do so in light of the Trust’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.
Under the 1940 Act, the Funds may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date of payment for shares during any period when (i) trading on the NYSE is restricted by applicable rules and regulations of the SEC; (ii) the NYSE is closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closings; (iii) the SEC has by order permitted such suspension; (iv) an emergency exists as determined by the SEC. (The Funds may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of their shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).
The Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, as a result of which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares, subject to the exceptions listed above, with respect to any one shareholder during any 90-day period, solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the net asset value of each Fund at the beginning of the period. Although redemptions in excess of this limitation would normally be paid in cash, the Fund reserves the right to make these payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets in case of an emergency, or if the payment of a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund as determined by the Board. In these circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued as set forth in this SAI. Should a Fund distribute securities, a shareholder may incur brokerage fees or other transaction costs in converting the securities to cash.
The timing and magnitude of cash inflows from investors buying Fund shares could prevent a Fund from always being fully invested. Conversely, the timing and magnitude of cash outflows to investors redeeming Fund shares could require large ready reserves of uninvested cash to meet shareholder redemptions. Either situation could adversely impact a Fund’s performance.
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Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
The Funds are required to comply with various anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Consequently, the Funds may request additional required information from you to verify your identity. Your application will be rejected if it does not contain your name, social security number, date of birth and permanent street address. If at any time the Funds believe a shareholder may be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of suspicious persons, the Funds may choose not to establish a new account or may be required to “freeze” a shareholder’s account. The Funds also may be required to provide a governmental agency with information about transactions that have occurred in a shareholder’s account or to transfer monies received to establish a new account, transfer an existing account or transfer the proceeds of an existing account to a governmental agency. In some circumstances, the law may not permit the Funds to inform the shareholder that it has taken the actions described above.
Offering Price
The share price of each Fund is based on each Fund’s net asset value (NAV) per share, which is calculated separately for each class of shares as of the end of the Business Day.
For Funds Other than Money Market Funds. The value of each Fund’s portfolio securities is determined in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures, which are approved by the Board. Except as described below under “Fair Valuation of Portfolio Securities,” the Fund’s portfolio securities are typically valued using the following methodologies:
Equity Securities. Equity securities (including common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and ETFs) listed on an exchange are valued at the closing price on their primary exchange (which, in the case of foreign securities, may be a foreign exchange) or, if a closing price is not readily available, at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. Listed preferred stocks convertible into common stocks are priced using an evaluated price from a pricing service. Over-the-counter equity securities not listed on any national exchange but included in the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the NASDAQ Official Closing Price or, if the official closing price is not readily available, at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices. Equity securities and ETFs that are not listed on any national exchange and are not included in the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices. Shares of other open-end investment companies (other than ETFs) are valued at the latest net asset value reported by those companies as of the valuation time.
Fixed Income Securities. Debt securities (including convertible securities) with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued at market value based on an evaluated bid, which may be obtained from a pricing service. If pricing information is unavailable from a pricing service or is not believed to be reflective of market value, then a security may be valued at a bid quote from a broker-dealer, or, if a bid quote from a broker-dealer is not available, at fair value. Debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued on the basis of amortized cost. Under this method of valuation, the security is initially valued at cost on the date of purchase or, in the case of securities purchased with more than 60 days remaining to maturity, the market value on the 61st day prior to maturity. Thereafter the fund assumes a constant proportionate amortization in value until maturity of any discount or premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the security. If the amortized cost value of such securities is not reflective of market value, then the valuation process for debt securities with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days will be applied. Short-term variable rate demand notes are typically valued at par value. Newly issued debt securities may be valued at purchase price for up to two days following purchase or at fair value if the purchase price is not believed to be reflective of market value.
Futures, Options and Other Derivatives. Futures and options on futures are valued based on the settlement price as determined by their principal exchange or, in the absence of settlement price, they are valued at the mean of the closing bid and ask. Listed options are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. If market quotations are not readily available, futures and options are valued using quotations from broker-dealers. Customized derivative products are valued at a price provided by a pricing service or, if such a price is unavailable, a broker quote or at a price derived from an internal valuation model.
Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements are generally valued at a price equal to the amount of cash invested in the repurchase agreement, or borrowed in the reverse repurchase agreement, respectively, at the time of valuation.
Bank Loans. Bank loans purchased in the primary market are typically valued at acquisition cost for up to two days, and are then valued using a market quotation from a pricing service or quote from a broker-dealer, or if such quotes are unavailable, fair value. For bank loans trading in the secondary market, prices are obtained from a pricing service and are based upon the average of one or more indicative bids from broker-dealers. ​
Private Placement Securities. Private placement securities requiring fair valuation are typically valued utilizing prices from broker-dealers or using internal analysis and any issuer-provided financial information.
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Foreign Currencies. Foreign currencies, securities denominated in foreign currencies and payables/receivables denominated in foreign currencies are valued in U.S. dollars utilizing spot exchange rates at the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Forward foreign currency contracts are valued in U.S. dollars utilizing the applicable forward currency exchange rate as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE.
For Money Market Funds. In accordance with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act, the securities in the portfolio of a money market fund are generally valued at amortized cost if such value is approximately the same as market value or at market value (based on market-based prices); or, if market value is not available, fair value. The amortized cost method of valuation is an approximation of market value determined by systematically increasing the carrying value of a security if acquired at a discount, or reducing the carrying value if acquired at a premium, so that the carrying value is equal to maturity value on the maturity date. Amortized cost does not take into consideration unrealized capital gains or losses.
The Board has established procedures designed to stabilize the Fund’s price per share for purposes of sales and redemptions at $1.00, to the extent that it is reasonably possible to do so. These procedures include review of the Fund’s securities by the Board, at intervals deemed appropriate by it, to determine whether the Fund’s net asset value per share computed by using available market quotations deviates from a share value of $1.00 as computed using the amortized cost method. Deviations are reported to the Board periodically and, if any such deviation exceeds 0.5%, the Board must determine what action, if any, needs to be taken. If the Board determines that a deviation exists that may result in a material dilution or other unfair results for shareholders or investors, the Board must cause the Fund to undertake such remedial action as the Board deems appropriate to eliminate or reduce to the extent reasonably practicable such dilution or unfair results.
Such action may include withholding dividends, calculating net asset value per share for purposes of sales and redemptions using available market quotations, making redemptions in kind, and/or selling securities before maturity in order to realize capital gains or losses or to shorten average portfolio maturity.
While the amortized cost method provides certainty and consistency in portfolio valuation, it may result in valuations of securities that are either somewhat higher or lower than the prices at which the securities could be sold. This means that during times of declining interest rates the yield on the Fund’s shares may be higher than if valuations of securities were made based on actual market prices and estimates of market prices. Accordingly, if using the amortized cost method were to result in a lower portfolio value, a prospective investor in the Fund would be able to obtain a somewhat higher yield than the investor would receive if portfolio valuations were based on actual market values. Existing shareholders, on the other hand, would receive a somewhat lower yield than they would otherwise receive. The opposite would happen during a period of rising interest rates.
Fair Valuation of Portfolio Securities. In the event that (i) market quotations or valuations from other sources are not readily available, such as when trading is halted or securities are not actively traded; (ii) market quotations or valuations from other sources are not reflective of market value (i.e., such prices or values are deemed unreliable in the judgment of the Investment Manager); or (iii) a significant event has been recognized in relation to a security or class of securities that is not reflected in market quotations or valuations from other sources, such as when an event impacting a foreign security occurs after the closing of the security’s foreign exchange but before the closing of the NYSE, a fair value for each such security is determined in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board. The fair value of a security is likely to be different from the quoted or published price and fair value determinations often require significant judgment.
In general, any relevant factors may be taken into account in determining fair value, including but not limited to the following, among others: the fundamental analytical data relating to the security; the value of other financial instruments, including derivative securities traded on other markets or among dealers; trading volumes on markets, exchanges, or among dealers; values of baskets of securities traded on other markets, exchanges, or among dealers; changes in interest rates; observations from financial institutions; government actions or pronouncements; other news events; information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security; price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or comparable companies; nature and expected duration of the event, if any, giving rise to the valuation issue; pricing history; the relative size of the position in the portfolio; internal models; and other relevant information.
With respect to securities traded on foreign markets, relevant factors may include, but not be limited to, the following: the value of foreign securities traded on other foreign markets; ADR and/or GDR trading; closed-end fund trading; foreign currency exchange activity and prices; and the trading of financial products that are tied to baskets of foreign securities, such as certain exchange-traded index funds. A systematic independent fair value pricing service assists in the fair valuation process for foreign securities in order to adjust for possible changes in value that may occur between the close of the foreign exchange and the time at which a Fund’s NAV is determined. Although the use of this service is intended to decrease opportunities for time zone arbitrage transactions, there can be no assurance that it will successfully decrease arbitrage opportunities.
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TAXATION
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Funds’ prospectuses entitled Distributions and Taxes. The prospectuses generally describe the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Funds and their shareholders. This section of the SAI provides additional information concerning U.S. federal income taxes. It is based on the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations, judicial authority, and administrative rulings and practice, all as in effect as of the date of this SAI and all of which are subject to change, including changes with retroactive effect. The following discussion does not address any state, local or foreign tax matters. The Funds may or may not invest in all of the securities or other instruments described in this Taxation section. Please see the Funds' prospectuses for information about a Fund's investments, as well as each Fund’s semiannual and annual shareholder reports.
The following discussion is generally based on the assumption that the shares of each Fund will be respected as owned by Participating Insurance Companies through their separate accounts, Qualified Plans, and other eligible persons or plans permitted to hold shares of a Fund pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations without impairing the ability of the Participating Insurance Company separate accounts to satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 817(h) of the Code (“Other Eligible Investors”). If this is not the case and shares of a Fund held by separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies are not respected as owned for U.S. federal income tax purposes by those separate accounts, the person(s) determined to own the Fund shares will not be eligible for tax deferral and, instead, will be taxed currently on Fund distributions and on the proceeds of any sale, transfer or redemption of Fund shares under applicable U.S. federal income tax rules that may not be discussed herein.

VP – Core Equity Fund will be treated as an entity disregarded from its owner for federal income tax purposes (a so-called “disregarded entity”). A disregarded entity itself is not subject to U.S. federal income tax nor to any annual tax return filing requirements.
The Trust has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. In addition, the following discussion and the discussions in the prospectuses address only some of the U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting investments in the Funds. In particular, because Participating Insurance Company separate accounts, Qualified Plans and Other Eligible Investors will be the only shareholders of a Fund, only certain U.S. federal tax aspects of an investment in a Fund are described herein. Affiliated insurance companies include in their taxable income the net investment income derived from the investment of assets held in its subaccounts because the affiliated insurance company is considered the owner of these assets under federal income tax law. The affiliated insurance company may claim certain tax benefits associated with this investment income. These benefits, which may include foreign tax credits (which can reduce the affiliated insurance company’s U.S. taxes on foreign source income) and the corporate dividend received deduction (which is a tax deduction for the insurance company, attributable to certain dividends received from the fund, or dividends received by the Fund if the Fund is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes), are not passed on to subaccount owners since the affiliated insurance company is the owner of the assets under federal tax law and is taxed on the investment income generated by the assets. Such benefits to participating insurance companies may be greater with respect to Funds that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income purposes as compared to Funds treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Holders of VA contracts and VLI policies (together, “Contracts”), Qualified Plan participants, or persons investing through an Other Eligible Investor are urged to consult the Participating Insurance Company, Qualified Plan, or Other Eligible Investor through which their investment is made, as well as to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners, regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences to them of an investment in a Fund, the application of state, local, or foreign laws, and the effect of any possible changes in applicable tax laws on an investment in a Fund.
Taxation – Funds Intending to Qualify as Regulated Investment Companies
The following sections apply only to the following Funds and their shareholders: VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund, VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund, VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund, VP – Commodity Strategy Fund, VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund, VP – Emerging Markets Fund, VP – Global Strategic Income Fund, VP – Government Money Market Fund, VP – High Yield Bond Fund, VP – Income Opportunities Fund, VP – Intermediate Bond Fund, VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund, VP – Overseas Core Fund, VP – Partners Core Bond Fund, VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund, VP – Partners International Growth Fund, VP – Partners International Value Fund, VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund, VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund, VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund, and VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund (collectively, the “RIC Funds”), and, for purposes of the following sections, the "Funds":
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Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
It is intended that each Fund qualify as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1 of the Code. Each Fund will be treated as a separate entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, the provisions of the Code applicable to regulated investment companies generally will apply separately to each Fund, even though each Fund is a series of a Trust. Furthermore, each Fund will separately determine its income, gains, losses, and expenses for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders under the Code, each Fund must, among other things, derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year generally from (i) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income attributable to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership, as defined below. In general, for purposes of this 90% gross income requirement, income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized directly by the regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (generally, defined as a partnership (x) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (y) that derives less than 90% of its gross income from the qualifying income described in clause (i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes if they meet the passive income requirement under Section 7704(c)(2) of the Code. Certain of a Fund’s investments in master limited partnerships ("MLPs") and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"), if any, may qualify as interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules do not apply to a regulated investment company, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.
The Fund must also diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year: (i) at least 50% of the fair market value of its total assets consists of (A) cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. Government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and (B) other securities, of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (A)) to the extent such securities do not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and are not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, the securities of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (i)(A)), the securities (other than securities of other regulated investment companies) of two or more issuers the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.
In addition, for purposes of meeting this diversification requirement, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” includes the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership and in the case of a Fund’s investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat both the financial intermediary and the issuer of the underlying loan as an issuer. The qualifying income and diversification requirements described above may limit the extent to which a Fund can engage in certain derivative transactions, as well as the extent to which it can invest in MLPs and certain commodity-linked ETFs.
In addition, each Fund generally must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income for the taxable year, which generally includes its ordinary income and the excess of any net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income (if any) for the taxable year.
If a Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, it generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any of the investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) it distributes to its shareholders. The Fund generally intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and its net capital gain. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation. Any investment company taxable income or net capital gain retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at the corporate rate.
In determining its net capital gain, including in connection with determining the amount available to support a capital gain dividend, its taxable income, and its earnings and profits, a regulated investment company generally may elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as any net capital loss attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31 or, if there is no such loss, the net long-term capital loss or net short-term capital loss attributable to such portion of the taxable year) or late-year ordinary loss (generally, its net ordinary loss from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property, attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31) as if incurred in the succeeding taxable year.
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In order to comply with the distribution requirements described above, a Fund generally must make the distributions in the same taxable year that it realizes the income and gain, although in certain circumstances, a Fund may make the distributions in the following taxable year in respect of income and gains from the prior taxable year. If a Fund declares a distribution to shareholders of record in October, November or December of one calendar year and pays the distribution in January of the following calendar year, the Fund and its shareholders will be treated as if the Fund paid the distribution on December 31 of the prior year.
If a Fund were to fail to meet the income, diversification or distribution tests described above, the Fund could in some cases cure such failure including by paying a fund-level tax or paying interest, making additional distributions, or disposing of certain assets. If the Fund were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure for any year, or were otherwise to fail to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment under the Code for such year, (i) it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation without any deduction for its distributions to shareholders, and (ii) each Participating Insurance Company separate account invested in the Fund would fail to satisfy the separate diversification requirements described below (See Taxation – Special Tax Considerations for Separate Accounts of Participating Insurance Companies), with the result that the Contracts supported by that account would no longer be eligible for tax deferral. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company.
Excise Tax
Amounts not distributed on a timely basis by regulated investment companies in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax at the Fund level. This excise tax, however, is generally inapplicable to any regulated investment company whose sole shareholders are separate accounts of insurance companies funding Contracts, Qualified Plans, Other Eligible Investors, or other regulated investment companies that are also exempt from the excise tax. If a Fund is subject to the excise tax requirements and the Fund fails to distribute by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for that year (excluding capital gains and losses) and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for net ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending on October 31 of that year (or November 30 or December 31 of that year if the Fund is eligible to elect and so elects), and any of its ordinary income and capital gain net income from previous years that were not distributed during such years, the Fund will be subject to the excise tax. For these purposes, ordinary gains and losses from the sale, exchange, or other taxable disposition of property that would be taken properly into account after October 31 of a calendar year (or November 30 if the Fund makes the election described above) are generally treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year; in the case of a Fund with a December 31 year end that makes the election described above, no such gains or losses will be so treated. For purposes of the excise tax, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund generally intends to actually distribute or be deemed to have distributed substantially all of its ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, by the end of each calendar year and, thus, expects not to be subject to the excise tax. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to the excise tax.
Capital Loss Carryovers
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (“net capital losses”) are not permitted to be deducted against a Fund’s net investment income. Instead, potentially subject to certain limitations, a Fund is able to carry forward a net capital loss from any taxable year to offset its capital gains, if any, realized during a subsequent taxable year.
Capital loss carry forwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the Fund retains or distributes such gains. A Fund may carry net capital losses forward to one or more subsequent taxable years without expiration; any such carryover losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term. The Fund must apply such carryforwards first against gains of the same character.
Capital gains that are offset by carried forward capital losses are not subject to fund-level U.S. federal income taxation, regardless of whether they are distributed to shareholders. Accordingly, the Funds do not expect to distribute any capital gains so offset. The Funds cannot carry back or carry forward any net operating losses (defined as deductions and ordinary losses in excess of ordinary income).
The total capital loss carryovers below include post-October capital losses, if applicable.
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Fund Total
Capital Loss
Carryovers
Amount not Expiring
Short-term Long-term
For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund $38,307,572 $0 $38,307,572
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund $280,316 $280,316 $0
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund $15,139,114 $3,384,809 $11,754,305
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund $5,846,201 $1,832,667 $4,013,534
VP – High Yield Bond Fund $4,414,700 $954,578 $3,460,122
VP – Income Opportunities Fund $5,332,722 $1,973,820 $3,358,902
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund $31,122,110 $13,931,042 $17,191,068
VP – Partners International Value Fund $2,016,658 $0 $2,016,658
Taxation of Fund Investments
If a Fund invests in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default, special tax issues may exist for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as: (1) whether a Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation and, if so, (2) the amount of market discount the Fund should recognize, (3) when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, (4) when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and (5) how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. In particular, effective for taxable years beginning after 2017, Section 451 of the Code generally requires any accrual method taxpayer to take into account items of gross income no later than the time at which such items are taken into account as revenue in the taxpayer’s financial statements. The IRS and the Department of Treasury have issued proposed regulations providing that this rule does not apply to the accrual of market discount. If Section 451 were to apply to the accrual of market discount, a Fund would be required to include in income any market discount as it takes the same into account on its financial statements even if a Fund does not otherwise elect to accrue market discount currently for federal income tax purposes. This could accelerate the recognition of market discount in taxable income for Funds that have not filed an election to currently include accrued market discount into income, and for Funds that rely on the de minimis market discount rule. These and other related issues will be addressed by a Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status and eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by a Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments relating to foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code. Under future U.S. Treasury Regulations, any such transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s investments in stock or securities (or its options contracts or futures contracts with respect to stock or securities) may have to be limited in order to enable the Fund to satisfy the 90% gross income requirement described above. If the net foreign exchange loss exceeds a Fund’s net investment company taxable income (computed without regard to such loss) for a taxable year, the resulting ordinary loss for such year will not be available as a carryover and thus cannot be deducted by the Fund in future years.
A Fund’s transactions in securities and certain types of derivatives (e.g., options, futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements), as well as any of its hedging, short sale, securities loan or similar transactions may be subject to special tax rules, such as the notional principal contract, straddle, constructive sale, wash-sale, mark-to-market, or short-sale rules. Rules governing the U.S. federal income tax aspects of certain of these transactions, including certain commodity-linked investments, are in a developing stage and are not entirely clear in certain respects. Accordingly, while each Fund intends to account for such transactions in a manner it deems to be appropriate, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid fund-level tax. Certain requirements that must be met under the Code in order for a Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a Fund will be able to engage in certain derivatives or commodity-linked transactions.
If a Fund receives a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. A dividends-received deduction is a deduction that may be available to corporate shareholders, subject to limitations and other rules, on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations, which, if received directly by the corporate shareholder, would qualify for such a deduction. For eligible corporate shareholders, the dividends received deduction may be subject to certain reductions, and a distribution by a Fund attributable to dividends of a domestic corporation will be eligible for the deduction only if certain holding period and other requirements are met. A Fund's positions
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in certain equity-linked derivatives will potentially limit the Fund's holding period in an equity security to which such derivative relates for purposes of determining whether a dividend on the equity security is eligible for the dividends-received deduction. A Fund's positions in equity-linked derivatives will therefore potentially limit the portion of Fund distributions that are eligible for the dividends-received deduction. These requirements are complex; therefore, corporate shareholders of the Funds are urged to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners. Similar consequences may apply to repurchase and other derivative transactions. The Funds do not expect that distributions from any Subsidiary will be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.
Income, proceeds and gains received by a Fund from sources within foreign countries (e.g., dividends or interest paid on foreign securities) may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries; such taxes would reduce the Fund’s return on those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.
A Fund may invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”). Under an IRS notice, and U.S. Treasury Regulations that have yet to be issued but may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s income (including income allocated to the Fund from a pass-through entity) that is attributable to a residual interest in a REMIC or an equity interest in a TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related interest directly.
In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or certain other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, (iii) in the case of a foreign shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax, and (iv) in the case of a Participating Insurance Company separate account supporting a Contract, cannot be offset by an adjustment to the reserves and thus is currently taxed notwithstanding the more general tax deferral available to Participating Insurance Company separate accounts funding Contracts.
Income of a Fund that would be UBTI if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity will not generally be attributed as UBTI to a tax-exempt shareholder of the Fund. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Code. For tax years beginning after 2017, entities subject to UBTI are required to calculate UBTI separately for each unrelated trade or business, which may limit their ability to offset gains and losses from multiple unrelated trades or businesses. Each Fund currently does not expect to leverage its investments.
As noted above, certain of the ETFs and MLPs in which a Fund may invest qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships. In such cases, the net income derived from such investments will constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described earlier for qualification as a regulated investment company. If such a vehicle were to fail to qualify as a qualified publicly traded partnership in a particular year, depending on the alternative treatment, either a portion of its gross income could constitute non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement, or all of its income could be subject to corporate tax, thereby potentially reducing the portion of any distribution treated as a dividend, and more generally, the value of the Fund's investment therein. In addition, as described above, the diversification requirement for regulated investment company qualification will limit a Fund’s investments in one or more vehicles that are qualified publicly traded partnerships to 25% of the Fund’s total assets as of the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year.
“Passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) are generally defined as foreign corporations where at least 75% of their gross income for their taxable year is income from passive sources (such as certain interest, dividends, rents and royalties, or capital gains) or at least 50% of their assets on average produce or are held for the production of such passive income. If a Fund acquires any equity interest in a PFIC, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and interest charges on “excess distributions” received from the PFIC or on gain from the sale of such equity interest in the PFIC, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders.
Elections may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections would require a Fund to include its share of the PFIC’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC (in the case of a “QEF election”), or to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in its interests in the PFIC “to the market” as though the Fund had sold and repurchased such interests on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year, treating such gains and losses as ordinary income and loss (in the case of a “mark-to-market election”). The Fund may attempt to limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to minimize tax liability and/or maximize returns from these investments but there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so. Moreover, because it is not always possible to identify a PFIC, a Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.
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Please refer to the Taxation – The Subsidiary section for further information about certain tax considerations relating to VP – Commodity Strategy Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary.
Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations
Under U.S. Treasury Regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, including a Participating Insurance Company holding separate accounts, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct holders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company, such as Participating Insurance Companies that own shares in a Fund through their separate accounts, are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.
Taxation Funds Expecting to Be Treated as Partnerships
The following sections apply only to the following Funds and their shareholders: VP – Aggressive Portfolio, VP – Balanced Fund, VP – Conservative Portfolio, VP – Disciplined Core Fund, VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund, VP – Large Cap Growth Fund, VP – Large Cap Index Fund, VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund, VP – Los Angeles Large Cap Growth Fund, VP – MFS Value Fund, VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund, VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund, VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio, VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio, VP – Moderate Portfolio, VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund, VP – Partners Core Equity Fund, VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund, VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund, VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund, VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund, VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund, VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund, VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund and VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund (collectively, the “Partnership Funds”), and, for purposes of the following sections, the "Funds":
Fund Status
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each Fund expects to be treated as a partnership and not as an association taxable as a corporation, and does not expect to be a “publicly traded partnership” as defined in Section 7704 of the Code. Each Fund considers itself to be a separate entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, each Fund and its shareholders should not be required to take into account the assets, operations, or shareholders of other series of the Trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes (e.g., for purposes of determining possible characterization as a publicly traded partnership). If a Fund were determined to be a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation, (i) it generally would be subject to tax at the Fund level on its earnings and profits at regular corporate income tax rates, and (ii) each Participating Insurance Company separate account invested in the Fund would fail to satisfy the separate diversification requirements described below (See Taxation – Special Tax Considerations for Separate Accounts of Participating Insurance Companies), with the result that the Contracts supported by that account would no longer be eligible for tax deferral.
As a partnership, unlike funds that intend to be treated as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Fund is not required to meet any specific qualifying income, diversification or distribution requirements, although to the extent regulated investment companies invest in a Fund such requirements will be taken into account by the Fund. In addition, as a partnership, a Fund is not itself subject to U.S. federal income tax (with the potential exception of tax assessed against a Fund during an IRS examination of a Fund’s income tax return, as described below). Instead, each shareholder will be required to take into account for U.S. federal income tax purposes its allocable share of a Fund’s income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, and other tax items, without regard to whether such shareholder has received or will receive corresponding distributions from the Fund. Allocations of these tax items, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally will be made in accordance with the economics of the Funds. Such items, when allocated to a shareholder, will generally retain their character as qualifying for particular tax treatment (e.g., eligibility for dividends-received deduction) when received by a taxable shareholder such as a Participating Insurance Company; this “pass-through” of tax characteristics will generally not affect holders of Contracts funded by a Fund or participants in Qualified Plans investing in a Fund.
If the IRS examines a Fund’s federal income tax return for any tax year beginning after 2017, the examination will be conducted under the centralized partnership audit regime (“CPAR”), unless the Fund is eligible to elect out of the CPAR (the “opt-out” election), and so elects. The Fund is directly liable for any tax deficiency and penalties assessed in a CPAR examination, unless the partnership representative for the Fund elects to “push-out” partnership-level tax adjustments to the partners. For purposes of the CPAR, each Fund intends to designate Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (“CMIA”) as partnership representative, and in such capacity, CMIA has sole authority to act on behalf of the Fund, including the authority to opt-out of the CPAR, or push-out any CPAR adjustments.
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Taxation of Fund Investments
Any investment by a Fund in foreign securities may subject the Fund and/or its shareholders (whether or not shareholders receive any distributions with respect to such investments), directly or indirectly, to taxation, including withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest, or capital gains, and/or tax filing obligations in foreign jurisdictions. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. In certain countries, the Fund may incur a higher rate of tax on dividends than it would have incurred if the Fund had been treated as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A Fund and/or its shareholders may otherwise be subject to foreign taxation on repatriation proceeds generated from those securities or to other transaction-based foreign taxes on those securities.
A Fund may invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. Under an IRS notice and U.S. Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but which may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s income (including income allocated to a Fund from a pass-through entity) that is attributable to a residual interest in a REMIC or an equity interest in a TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a partnership, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the partnership consistent with their allocation of other items of income, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related interest directly.
In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute UBTI to entities (including a Qualified Plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan, or certain other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, (iii) in the case of a foreign shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax, and (iv) in the case of a Participating Insurance Company separate account supporting a Contract, cannot be offset by an adjustment to the reserves and thus is currently taxed notwithstanding the more general tax deferral available to Participating Insurance Company separate accounts funding Contracts.
In addition, to the extent that a shareholder has borrowed to finance shares of a Fund or a Fund holds property that constitutes debt-financed property (e.g., securities purchased on margin), income attributable to such property allocated to a shareholder that is an exempt organization may constitute UBTI. Certain of a Fund’s other investments or activities may also generate UBTI. Furthermore, the IRS may take the position that certain of a Fund’s investments in derivative instruments should be reclassified in a manner that gives rise to UBTI. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements may, under certain conditions, be characterized as secured loans, the proceeds of which could be used to acquire assets that would, therefore, give rise to debt-financed income. If a Fund generates UBTI, a tax-exempt shareholder in the Fund generally would be required to file a tax return and could incur tax liability on such shareholder’s allocable share of that UBTI. For tax years beginning after 2017, entities subject to UBTI are required to calculate UBTI separately for each unrelated trade or business, which may limit their ability to offset gains and losses from multiple unrelated trades or businesses. Each Fund currently does not expect to leverage its investments.
Qualified Plans and other tax-exempt shareholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the possible effects of UBTI on their own tax situation as well as the general tax implications of an investment in a Fund.
U.S. Tax Shelter Rules
A Fund may engage in transactions or make investments that would subject the Fund, its shareholders, and/or its “material advisors,” as defined in Treas. Reg. Sec. 301.6112-1(c)(1), to special rules requiring such transactions or investments by the Fund or investments in the Fund to be reported and/or otherwise disclosed to the IRS, including to the IRS’s Office of Tax Shelter Analysis (the “Tax Shelter Rules”). A transaction may be subject to reporting or disclosure if it is described in any of several categories of “reportable transactions”, which include, among others, transactions that result in the incurrence of a loss or losses exceeding certain thresholds or that are offered under conditions of confidentiality. Although each Fund does not expect to engage in transactions solely or principally for the purpose of achieving a particular tax consequence, there can be no assurance that a Fund will not engage in transactions that trigger the Tax Shelter Rules. In addition, a shareholder may have disclosure obligations with respect to its shares in a Fund if the shareholder (or the Fund in certain cases) participates in a reportable transaction.
Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors about their obligation to report or disclose to the IRS information about their investment in a Fund and participation in a Fund’s income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit with respect to transactions or investments subject to these rules. In addition, pursuant to these rules, a Fund may provide to its material advisors identifying information about the Fund’s shareholders and their participation in the Fund and the Fund’s income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit from those transactions or investments, and the Fund or its material advisors may disclose this information to the IRS upon its request. Significant penalties may apply for failure to comply with these rules.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 200

 

In addition, an excise tax and additional disclosure requirements may apply to certain tax-exempt entities that are “parties” to certain types of prohibited tax shelter transactions. Qualified Plans and other tax-exempt shareholders should consult with their tax advisors in this regard.
In certain circumstances, a Fund and/or a Fund’s tax advisor may make special disclosures to the IRS of certain positions taken by the Fund.
Special Tax Considerations for Separate Accounts of Participating Insurance Companies (all Funds except VP – Core Equity Fund)
Under the Code, if the investments of a segregated asset account, such as the separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies, are “adequately diversified,” and certain other requirements are met, a holder of a Contract supported by the account will receive favorable tax treatment in the form of deferral of tax until a distribution is made under the Contract.
In general, the investments of a segregated asset account are considered to be “adequately diversified” only if: (i) no more than 55% of the value of the total assets of the account is represented by any one investment; (ii) no more than 70% of the value of the total assets of the account is represented by any two investments; (iii) no more than 80% of the value of the total assets of the account is represented by any three investments; and (iv) no more than 90% of the value of the total assets of the account is represented by any four investments (the “55%-70%-80%-90% diversification test”). Section 817(h) provides as a safe harbor that a segregated asset account is also considered to be “adequately diversified” if it meets the regulated investment company diversification tests described earlier and no more than 55% of the value of the total assets of the account is attributable to cash, cash items (including receivables), U.S. Government securities, and securities of other regulated investment companies.
In general, all securities of the same issuer are treated as a single investment for such purposes, and each U.S. Government agency and instrumentality is considered a separate issuer. However, Treasury Regulations provide a “look-through rule” with respect to a segregated asset account’s investments in a regulated investment company or partnership for purposes of the applicable diversification requirements, provided certain conditions are satisfied by the regulated investment company or partnership. In particular, (i) if the beneficial interests in the regulated investment company or partnership are held by one or more segregated asset accounts of one or more insurance companies, and (ii) if public access to such regulated investment company or partnership is available exclusively through the purchase of a Contract, then a segregated asset account’s beneficial interest in the regulated investment company or partnership is not treated as a single investment. Instead, a pro rata portion of each asset of the regulated investment company or partnership is treated as an asset of the segregated asset account. Look-through treatment is also available if the two requirements above are met and notwithstanding the fact that beneficial interests in the regulated investment company or partnership are also held by Qualified Plans and Other Eligible Investors. Additionally, to the extent a Fund meeting the above conditions invests in underlying regulated investment companies or partnerships that themselves are owned exclusively by insurance company separate accounts, Qualified Plans, or Other Eligible Investors, the assets of those underlying regulated investment companies or partnerships generally should be treated as assets of the separate accounts investing in the Fund.
As indicated above, the Trust intends that each of the RIC Funds will qualify as a regulated investment company or, in the case of the Partnership Funds, as a partnership that is not a “publicly traded partnership,” under the Code. The Trust also intends to cause each Fund to satisfy the separate diversification requirements imposed by Section 817(h) of the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations at all times to enable the corresponding separate accounts to be “adequately diversified.” In addition, the Trust intends that each Fund will qualify for the “look-through rule” described above by limiting the investment in each Fund’s shares to Participating Insurance Company separate accounts, Qualified Plans and Other Eligible Investors. Accordingly, the Trust intends that each Participating Insurance Company, through its separate accounts, will be able to treat its interests in a Fund as ownership of a pro rata portion of each asset of the Fund, so that individual holders of the Contracts underlying the separate account will qualify for favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment under the Code. However, no assurance can be made in that regard.
Failure by a Fund to satisfy the Section 817(h) requirements by failing to comply with the 55%-70%-80%-90% diversification test or the safe harbor described above, or by failing to comply with the “look-through rule,” could cause the Contracts to lose their favorable tax status and require a Contract holder to include currently in ordinary income any income accrued under the Contracts for the current and all prior taxable years. Under certain circumstances described in the applicable Treasury Regulations, inadvertent failure to satisfy the Section 817(h) diversification requirements may be corrected; such a correction would require a payment to the IRS. Any such failure could also result in adverse tax consequences for the Participating Insurance Company issuing the Contracts.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 201

 

The IRS has indicated that a degree of investor control over the investment options underlying a Contract may interfere with the tax-deferred treatment of such Contracts. The IRS has issued rulings addressing the circumstances in which a Contract holder’s control of the investments of the separate account may cause the holder, rather than the insurance company, to be treated as the owner of the assets held by the separate account. If the holder is considered the owner of the securities underlying the separate account, income and gains produced by those securities would be included currently in the holder’s gross income.
In determining whether an impermissible level of investor control is present, one factor the IRS considers is whether a Fund’s investment strategies are sufficiently broad to prevent a Contract holder from being deemed to be making particular investment decisions through its investment in the separate account. For this purpose, current IRS guidance indicates that typical fund investment strategies, even those with a specific sector or geographical focus, are generally considered sufficiently broad. Most, although not necessarily all, of the Funds have objectives and strategies that are not materially narrower than the investment strategies held not to constitute an impermissible level of investor control in recent IRS rulings (such as large company stocks, international stocks, small company stocks, mortgage-backed securities, money market securities, telecommunications stocks and financial services stocks).
The above discussion addresses only one of several factors that the IRS considers in determining whether a Contract holder has an impermissible level of investor control over a separate account. Contract holders should consult with their Participating Insurance Companies and their own tax advisors, as well as the prospectus relating to their particular Contract, for more information concerning this investor control issue.
In the event that additional rules, regulations or other guidance is issued by the IRS or the Treasury Department concerning this issue, such guidance could affect the treatment of a Fund as described above, including retroactively. In addition, there can be no assurance that a Fund will be able to continue to operate as currently described, or that the Fund will not have to change its investment objective or investment policies in order to prevent, on a prospective basis, any such rules and regulations from causing Contract owners to be considered the owners of the shares of the Fund.
Certain Shareholder Reporting and Withholding Requirements (All Funds)
Shareholders that are U.S. persons and own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of a Fund could be required to report annually their “financial interest” in the Fund’s “foreign financial accounts,” (if any), on FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (“FBAR”). Shareholders should consult their intermediaries through which a Fund investment is made (if applicable), as well as their tax advisors to determine the applicability to them of this reporting requirement.
Special Considerations for Contract Holders and Plan Participants
The foregoing discussion does not address the tax consequences to Contract holders or Qualified Plan participants of an investment in a Contract or participation in a Qualified Plan. Contract holders investing in a Fund through a Participating Insurance Company separate account, Qualified Plan participants, or persons investing in a Fund through Other Eligible Investors are urged to consult with their Participating Insurance Company, Qualified Plan sponsor, or Other Eligible Investor, as applicable, and their own tax advisors, for more information regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them of an investment in a Fund.
The Subsidiary
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund (for purposes of this section, the “Fund”) intends to invest a portion of its assets in one or more Subsidiaries, each of which will be classified as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes. Foreign corporations, such as the Subsidiary, will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless it is deemed to be engaged in a United States trade or business. The Subsidiary intends to conduct its activities in a manner that is expected to meet the requirements of a safe harbor under Section 864(b)(2) of the Code under which the Subsidiary may engage in trading in stocks or securities or certain commodities for its own account without being deemed to be engaged in a United States trade or business. However, if certain of the Subsidiary’s activities were deemed not to be of the type described in the safe harbor, the activities of the Subsidiary might constitute a United States trade or business.
Even if the Subsidiary is not engaged in a United States trade or business, it will potentially be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on all or a portion of its United States source gross income that is not effectively connected with a United States trade or business.
The Subsidiary will be treated as a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal tax purposes. The Fund will be treated as a “U.S. Shareholder” of the Subsidiary. As a result, the Fund will be required to include in its gross income all of the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income.” It is expected that all of the Subsidiary’s income will be “subpart F income.” “Subpart F income” is generally treated as ordinary income. Under regulations, the annual net income, if any, realized by the Subsidiary and treated as received by the Fund for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute qualifying income for purposes of the Fund’s qualification as a RIC under the Code either to the extent such net income is currently and timely distributed to the Fund or if such income is treated as received in connection with the Fund’s investments in stocks and securities. If a net loss is realized by
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 202

 

the Subsidiary, such loss is not generally available to offset the income of the Fund and generally is not permitted to be carried forward to offset income of the Subsidiary in future years. The recognition by the Fund of the Subsidiary’s “subpart F income” will increase the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary. Distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund will not be taxable to the extent of its previously undistributed “subpart F income,” and will reduce the Fund’s tax basis in the Subsidiary.
In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to RICs under the Code, the Fund must satisfy a 90% gross income requirement and an asset diversification requirement. These requirements are not applicable to the Subsidiary. For purposes of the asset diversification requirement, the Fund will limit its investment in the Subsidiary in the aggregate to 25% or less of the Fund's total assets as of the end of every quarter of its taxable year; the asset diversification requirement applies to the Fund's interest in the Subsidiary but not to the Subsidiary's investments.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 203

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Management Ownership
As of March 31, 2020, the Trustees and Officers of the Trust, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of each class of shares of each Fund.
The tables below identify the names, address and ownership percentage of each person who owns of record or is known by the Trust to own beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund’s outstanding shares (Principal Holders) or 25% or more of a Fund’s outstanding shares (Control Persons). A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund’s shares is presumed to “control” the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and may have a significant impact on matters submitted to a shareholder vote. A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 50% of a Fund’s outstanding shares may be able to approve proposals, or prevent approval of proposals, without regard to votes by other Fund shareholders. Additional information about Control Persons, if any, is provided following the tables. The information provided for each Fund is as of a date no more than 30 days prior to the date of filing a post-effective amendment to the applicable Trust’s registration statement with respect to such Fund.
All shares of the Funds are made available for purchase by individuals only through Qualified Plans or products offered by life insurance companies. All the shares of the Funds are held of record by sub-accounts of separate accounts of Participating Insurance Companies on behalf of the owners of VLI policies or VA contracts, by Qualified Plans, by the Investment Manager, by the general account of SunLife Insurance Company (SunLife) or by certain other eligible investors. At all meetings of shareholders of the Funds each Participating Insurance Company or Qualified Plan sponsor will vote the shares held of record by sub-accounts of its separate accounts only in accordance with the instructions received from the VLI policy, VA contract owners or Qualified Plan participant on behalf of whom such shares are held. All such shares as to which no instructions are received (as well as, in the case of SunLife, all shares held by its general account) will be voted in the same proportion as shares as to which instructions are received (with SunLife’s general account shares being voted in the proportions determined by instructing owners of SunLife VLI policies or VA contracts). Accordingly, each Participating Insurance Company or Qualified Plan sponsor disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of the Funds held of record by the sub-accounts of its separate accounts (or, in the case of SunLife, its general account).
Funds with Fiscal Period Ending December 31:
Except as otherwise indicated, the information below is as of March 31, 2020:
Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
VP – Aggressive Portfolio RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
95.74% 94.96%
Class 4 93.92%
Class 1 99.90%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 4
6.08% N/A
VP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 83.11% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
40.09% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.02% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.52% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 204

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.08% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
16.89% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
93.98% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.00% N/A
VP – Balanced Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
Class 2
100.00% N/A(a)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
99.60% 93.41%
Class 3 93.40%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
6.60% N/A
VP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
Class 1
38.86% N/A(a)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
39.61% 93.86%
Class 2 92.09%
Class 3 94.28%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
21.53% N/A
Class 2 7.85%
Class 3 5.72%
VP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 87.26% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.85% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
50.53% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
30.09% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.13% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 205

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
96.58% N/A
VP – Commodity Strategy Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 88.83% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.82% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
37.84% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
39.29% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.23% N/A
  NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY
CORP
ATTN CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
169 LACKAWANNA AVE
PARSIPPANY NJ 07054-1007
Class 2
63.00% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
29.49% N/A
VP – Conservative Portfolio COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
Class 1
9.86% N/A(a)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.67% 94.93%
Class 4 95.20%
Class 1 90.12%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.33% N/A
VP – Core Equity Fund RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
100.00% 100.00%
VP – Disciplined Core Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 65.01% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.71% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.84% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 206

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.46% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
29.83% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
31.38% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.60% N/A
Class 3 93.92%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
6.08% N/A
VP – Dividend Opportunity Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 35.85% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
6.13% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
42.72% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
42.95% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
85.17% 54.58%
Class 3 94.77%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
5.23% N/A
VP – Emerging Markets Bond Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 44.47% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.76% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
56.12% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
21.65% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 207

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.94% N/A
  NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE & ANNUITY
CORP
ATTN CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
169 LACKAWANNA AVE
PARSIPPANY NJ 07054-1007
Class 2
88.23% 46.25%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.63% N/A
VP – Emerging Markets Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 35.38% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.92% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.76% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
51.48% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
23.37% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.93% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
95.28% 61.03%
Class 3 94.56%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
5.44% N/A
VP – Global Strategic Income Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
Class 1
100.00% N/A(a)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.00% 94.25%
Class 3 94.29%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.90% N/A
Class 3 5.71%
VP – Government Money Market Fund DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 1
21.84% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 208

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
18.03% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
33.69% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
16.93% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
89.01% 70.83%
Class 3 93.30%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
10.97% N/A
Class 3 6.70%
VP – High Yield Bond Fund MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE INS CO
4350 WESTOWN PKWY
WEST DES MOINES IA 50266-1036
Class 2
6.94% N/A
  NATIONWIDE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
C/O IPO PORTFOLIO ACCOUNTING
PO BOX 182029
COLUMBUS OH 43218-2029
Class 2
13.26% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
99.97% 91.57%
Class 2 75.48%
Class 3 95.53%
VP – Income Opportunities Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 41.11% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
7.55% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.04% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.85% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
34.00% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.10% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.04% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 209

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
81.69% 45.30%
Class 3 94.61%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
9.34% N/A
Class 3 5.39%
VP – Intermediate Bond Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 75.81% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.50% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
36.11% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.43% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
8.75% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.53% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
18.56% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.01% N/A
Class 3 94.41%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.97% N/A
Class 3 5.59%
VP – Large Cap Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 71.78% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
44.17% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.73% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.00% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 210

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
14.21% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
21.42% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.31% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
48.34% N/A
Class 3 96.33%
VP – Large Cap Index Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 48.89% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
91.11% N/A
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
OF NEW YORK
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
8.84% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
65.60% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
29.54% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
90.52% 43.19%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
9.48% N/A
VP – Limited Duration Credit Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 78.48% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
21.85% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
8.65% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.68% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 211

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
CONSERVATIVE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.38% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.80% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
32.44% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
91.95% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.73% N/A
VP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 73.74% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
29.49% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.96% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
20.92% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.41% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.68% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
16.76% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
6.10% N/A
Class 2 64.85%
VP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 91.83% (a)
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 212

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.39% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
27.41% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
16.24% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
20.63% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.04% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
95.96% N/A
VP – MFS Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 88.56% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
8.01% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
33.87% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
19.81% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.44% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.79% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.18% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.81% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 213

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
VP – Mid Cap Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 38.85% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
43.60% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
45.62% N/A
  KANSAS CITY LIFE INS
ATTN ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS-VARIABLE
PO BOX 219139
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9139
Class 2
14.58% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
81.83% 52.42%
Class 3 94.04%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
5.96% N/A
  TALCOTT RESOLUTION LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
PO BOX 5051
HARTFORD CT 06102-5051
Class 1
5.01% N/A
VP – Moderate Portfolio RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.00% 94.11%
Class 4 94.20%
Class 1 98.88%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.00% N/A
Class 4 5.80%
VP – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.57% 94.32%
Class 4 93.99%
Class 1 98.50%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.43% N/A
Class 4 6.01%
VP – Moderately Conservative Portfolio RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
93.86% 93.92%
Class 4 93.99%
Class 1 37.82%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.14% N/A
Class 4 6.01%
Class 1 61.68%
VP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 93.25% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.43% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 214

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.27% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.20% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.40% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.41% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
17.73% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
18.84% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
97.05% N/A
VP – MV Moderate Growth Fund RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 1
99.07% 93.34%
Class 2 93.34%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.66% N/A
VP – Overseas Core Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 73.83% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
9.63% N/A
  GE LIFE & ANNUITY ASSURANCE CO
ATTN VARIABLE ACCOUNTING
6610 W BROAD ST BLDG 3 5TH FL
RICHMOND VA 23230-1702
Class 2
23.70% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.51% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
50.30% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
27.96% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 215

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.79% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
42.73% N/A
Class 3 93.31%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
6.69% N/A
  TALCOTT RESOLUTION LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
PO BOX 5051
HARTFORD CT 06102-5051
Class 2
15.27% N/A
VP – Partners Core Bond Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 88.10% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.14% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
31.46% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.31% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
10.56% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.04% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
19.87% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.03% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.89% N/A
VP – Partners Core Equity Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 85.82% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.73% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 216

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.18% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.18% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
14.57% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
14.02% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
14.30% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
98.15% N/A
Class 3 93.83%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
6.17% N/A
VP – Partners International Core Equity Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 93.33% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.68% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.47% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.91% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.91% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
23.62% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
96.02% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 217

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
VP – Partners International Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 90.42% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.46% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.71% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.07% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.94% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.32% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.66% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.33% N/A
VP – Partners International Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 91.06% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.56% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.49% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.79% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.44% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.91% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 218

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.28% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
5.71% N/A
VP – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 86.38% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.16% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.35% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.79% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.78% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
87.61% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
12.37% N/A
VP – Partners Small Cap Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 73.95% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.09% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.93% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.25% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.73% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 219

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
91.12% N/A
Class 3 94.91%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
8.84% N/A
Class 3 5.09%
VP – Select Large Cap Equity Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
Class 2
100.00% 93.61% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
9.39% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
36.08% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
21.46% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.14% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.53% N/A
VP – Select Large Cap Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 89.76% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.14% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.73% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.95% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
27.78% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
16.11% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 220

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.23% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.29% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
92.70% N/A
Class 3 97.09%
VP – Select Mid Cap Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 62.59% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
44.01% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
47.14% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
95.83% 30.03%
Class 3 95.87%
VP – Select Small Cap Value Fund AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP
5900 O ST
LINCOLN NE 68510-2234
Class 2
27.79% N/A
  GREAT-WEST LIFE & ANNUITY
FBO TRILLIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCT
8515 E ORCHARD RD 2T2
GREENWOOD VLG CO 80111-5002
Class 1
23.42% N/A
  JEFFERSON NATL LIFE
10350 ORMSBY PARK PL STE 600
LOUISVILLE KY 40223-6175
Class 1
62.35% N/A
  KANSAS CITY LIFE INS
ATTN ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS-VARIABLE
PO BOX 219139
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9139
Class 2
13.52% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
53.61% 76.78%
Class 3 94.95%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
5.05% N/A
  TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE CO
4333 EDGEWOOD RD NE
CEDAR RAPIDS IA 52499-0001
Class 1
6.60% N/A
VP – Seligman Global Technology Fund AMERITAS LIFE INSURANCE CORP
5900 O ST
LINCOLN NE 68510-2234
Class 2
5.64% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 221

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  GREAT-WEST LIFE & ANNUITY
FBO TRILLIUM VARIABLE ANNUITY ACCT
8515 E ORCHARD RD 2T2
GREENWOOD VLG CO 80111-5002
Class 1
95.36% 58.05%
Class 2 29.65%
  JEFFERSON NATL LIFE
10350 ORMSBY PARK PL STE 600
LOUISVILLE KY 40223-6175
Class 2
35.60% N/A
  KANSAS CITY LIFE INS
ATTN ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS-VARIABLE
PO BOX 219139
KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9139
Class 2
12.66% N/A
  MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE INS CO
4350 WESTOWN PKWY
WEST DES MOINES IA 50266-1036
Class 2
5.74% N/A
VP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 90.55% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S
FLEXIBLE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.81% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VARIABLE PORTFOLIO U S FLEXIBLE
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.05% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.62% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.75% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
15.87% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.73% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
12.25% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
91.98% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
8.01% N/A
VP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 81.51% (a)
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 222

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
35.32% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.80% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
8.75% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.82% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
23.19% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
94.92% N/A
VP – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 72.11% (a)
  DELAWARE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
1601 TRAPELO ROAD SUITE 30
WALTHAM MA 02451-7360
Class 2
30.53% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.57% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
32.72% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.60% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.42% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
24.60% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
57.38% N/A
Class 3 94.30%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 3
5.70% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 223

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
VP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 76.24% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.25% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.45% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.61% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.14% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.86% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
93.29% N/A
Class 3 97.35%
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
6.71% N/A
VP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 89.10% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
65.91% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
6.84% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY CONSERVATIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
7.47% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
11.31% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
89.11% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE NY FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE OF NY)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
10.86% N/A
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 224

 

Fund Shareholder Name and Address Share Class Percentage
of Class
Percentage of Fund
(if greater than 25%)
VP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund COLUMBIA MGMT INVESTMENT ADVSR LLC
ATTN KATRINA MACBAIN
50807 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0508
N/A
N/A 89.46% (a)
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
5.26% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
22.66% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR
VP MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE

4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
13.57% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
26.52% N/A
  JPMCB NA CUST FOR VARIABLE
PORTFOLIO MANAGED VOLATILITY
MODERATE GROWTH FUND
4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER 3RD FLOOR
BROOKLYN NY 11245-0003
Class 1
25.66% N/A
  RIVERSOURCE LIFE ACCOUNT FOR INSIDE
DISTRIBUTION (LIFE)
222 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CTR
MINNEAPOLIS MN 55474-0002
Class 2
95.78% N/A
(a) Combination of all share classes of Columbia Management initial capital and/or affiliated funds-of-funds’ investments.
The Investment Manager, a Minnesota limited liability company, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Other Columbia Funds managed by the Investment Manager may hold more than 25% of a Fund.
RiverSource Life Account for Inside Distribution (RiverSource Life Insurance Company) is a Minnesota corporation. RiverSource Life Insurance Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company is a Colorado insurance company. Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc.
New York Life Insurance & Annuity Corporation is a Delaware Corporation. New York Life Insurance & Annuity Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 225

 

INFORMATION REGARDING PENDING AND SETTLED LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates have historically been involved in a number of legal, arbitration and regulatory proceedings, including routine litigation, class actions, and governmental actions, concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their business activities. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Funds are not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Funds or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Funds. Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
There can be no assurance that these matters, or the adverse publicity associated with them, will not result in increased Fund redemptions, reduced sale of Fund shares or other adverse consequences to the Funds. Further, although we believe proceedings are not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Funds or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Funds, these proceedings are subject to uncertainties and, as such, we are unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss that may result. An adverse outcome in one or more of these proceedings could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties or other relief that could have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition or results of operations of Ameriprise Financial.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THE PROSPECTUS OR IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WHICH THE PROSPECTUS INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THE PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR PRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE TRUST(S). THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE TRUST(S) IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH AN OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 226

 

APPENDIX A — DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The ratings of S&P, Moody’s, Fitch, DBRS, and KBRA represent their opinions as to quality. These ratings are not absolute standards of quality and are not recommendations to purchase, sell or hold a security. Issuers and issues are subject to risks that are not evaluated by the rating agencies. When a security is not rated by one of these agencies, it is designated as Not Rated. Securities designated as Not Rated do not necessarily indicate low credit quality, and for such securities the Investment Manager evaluates the credit quality.
The following ratings descriptions, which were derived as of the date of this SAI from the particular credit rating agency’s website, identify the date such descriptions were then last updated by such credit rating agency.
S&P’s Ratings last updated on September 18, 2019
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*
An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘B’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
*Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory
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A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
D ‘D’ is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.
Moody’s Ratings last updated in January 2020
Global Long-Term Rating Scale
Aaa – Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa – Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A – Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa – Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba – Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B – Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa – Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca – Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C – Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*
* By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Global Short-Term Rating Scale
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 (P-1) have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 (P-2) have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 (P-3) have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime (NP) do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
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US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
MIG Scale
The MIG 1 designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
The MIG 2 designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
The MIG 3 designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
The SG designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
VMIG Scale
The VMIG 1 designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
The VMIG 2 designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
The VMIG 3 designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
The SG designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Moody’s typically assign the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is “NR”.
Fitch’s Ratings last updated on March 26, 2020
Corporate Finance Obligations – Long-Term Rating Scales
AAA: Highest credit quality.
‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very high credit quality.
‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High credit quality.
‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good credit quality.
‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative.
‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
B: Highly speculative.
‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
CCC: Substantial credit risk.
‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
CC: Very high levels of credit risk.
‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
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Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned ‘RD’ or ‘D’ ratings, but are instead rated in the ‘B’ to ‘C’ rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.
Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers or Obligations in Corporate, Public and Structured Finance
F1: Highest short-term credit quality.
Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good short-term credit quality.
Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair short-term credit quality.
The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative short-term credit quality.
Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High short-term default risk.
Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted default.
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default.
Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
The table below shows typical relationships between the long-term rating and the short-term rating.
Long-Term Rating Short-Term Rating
AAA F1+
AA+ F1+
AA F1+
AA– F1+
A+ F1 or F1+
A F1 or F1+
A– F2 or F1
BBB+ F2 or F1
BBB F3 or F2
BBB– F3
BB+ B
BB B
BB– B
B+ B
B B
B– B
CCC+ / CCC / CCC– C
CC C
C C
RD / D RD / D
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DBRS’s Ratings last updated in January 2019
Long-Term Obligations Scale
All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories (high) and (low). The absence of either a (high) or (low) designation indicates that the rating is in the middle of the category.
AAA
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
AA
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
A
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
BBB
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
BB
Speculative, non-investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.
B
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.
CCC / CC / C
Very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default or subordinated to obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place, but is considered inevitable, may be rated in the C category.
D
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a distressed exchange. See Default Definition for more information.
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale
The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the subcategories (high), (middle) and (low).
R-1 (high)
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
R-1 (middle)
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
R-1 (low)
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favourable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
R-2 (high)
Upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
R-2 (middle)
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.
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R-2 (low)
Lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.
R-3
Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.
R-4
Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.
R-5
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
D
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a distressed exchange. See Default Definition for more information.
KBRA’s Ratings, derived from the credit rating agency’s website as of April 15, 2020
Long-Term Rating Scale
AAA: Determined to have almost no risk of loss due to credit-related events. Assigned only to the very highest quality obligors and obligations able to survive extremely challenging economic events.
AA: Determined to have minimal risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such obligors and obligations are deemed very high quality.
A: Determined to be of high quality with a small risk of loss due to credit-related events. Issuers and obligations in this category are expected to weather difficult times with low credit losses.
BBB: Determined to be of medium quality with some risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations may experience credit losses during stressed environments.
BB: Determined to be of low quality with moderate risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations have fundamental weaknesses that create moderate credit risk.
B: Determined to be of very low quality with high risk of loss due to credit-related events. These issuers and obligations contain many fundamental shortcomings that create significant credit risk.
CCC: Determined to be at substantial risk of loss due to credit-related events, near default, or in default with high recovery expectations.
CC: Determined to be near default or in default with average recovery expectations.
C: Determined to be near default or in default with low recovery expectations.
D: KBRA defines default as occurring if:
There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered.
The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result.
The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.
Short-Term Rating Scale
K1+: Exceptional ability to meet short-term obligations.
K1: Very strong ability to meet short-term obligations.
K2: Strong ability to meet short-term obligations.
K3: Adequate ability to meet short-term obligations.
B: Questionable ability to meet short-term obligations.
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C: Little ability to meet short-term obligations.
D: KBRA defines default as occurring if:
There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered.
The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result.
The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.
With exceptions for certain issuers and sectors, the following correspondence between KBRA's short- and long-term ratings generally holds:
Long-Term Rating Short-Term Rating
AAA
AA+
AA
AA–
K1+
A+ K1+ or K1
A K1
A– K1 or K2
BBB+ K2
BBB K2 or K3
BBB– K3
BB+
BB
BB–
B+
B
B–
B
CCC+
CCC
CCC–
CC
C
C
D D
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APPENDIX B — CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND PROXY VOTING PRINCIPLES
As active investors, well informed investment research and stewardship of our clients’ investments are important aspects of our responsible investment activities. Our approach to this is framed in the relevant Responsible Investment Policies we maintain and publish. These policy documents provide an overview of our approach in practice (e.g., around the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability research and analysis).
As part of this, acting as shareholders of a company, we are charged with responsibility for exercising the voting rights associated with that share ownership. Unless clients decide otherwise, that forms part of the stewardship duty we owe our clients in managing their assets. Subject to practical limitations, we therefore aim to exercise all voting rights for which we are responsible, although exceptions do nevertheless arise (for example, due to technical or administrative issues, including those related to Powers of Attorney, share blocking, related option rights or the presence of other exceptional or market-specific issues). This provides us with the opportunity to use those voting rights to express our preferences on relevant aspects of the business of a company, to highlight concerns to the board, to promote good practice and, when appropriate, to exercise related rights. In doing so we have an obligation to ensure that we do that in the best interests of our clients and in keeping with the mandate we have from them.
Corporate governance has particular importance to us in this context, which reflects our view that well governed companies are better positioned to manage the risks and challenges inherent in business, capture opportunities that help deliver sustainable growth and returns for our clients. Governance is a term used to describe the arrangements and practices that frame how directors of a company organize and operate in leading and directing a business on behalf of the shareholders of the company. Such arrangements and practices give effect to the mechanisms through which companies facilitate the exercise of shareholders’ rights and define the extent to which these are equitable for all shareholders.
We recognize that companies are not homogeneous and some variation in governance structures and practice is to be expected. In formulating our approach, we are also mindful of best practice standards and codes that help frame good practice, including international frameworks and investment industry guidance. While we are mindful of company and industry specific issues, as well as normal market practice, in considering the approach and proposals of a company we are guided solely by the best interests of our clients and will consider any issues and related disclosures or explanations in that context.
This document sets out our views on key issues and the broad principles that help shape our approach.
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Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting Principles
Shareholder Rights
The shareholder membership of listed companies is generally made up (directly or indirectly) of diverse individuals and institutions whose views, interests, goals and time horizons can vary considerably. Nevertheless, as shareholders, having confidence that the capital we commit to a company will be protected from misuse (e.g. from any potential agency conflicts) and will be prudently managed is important to us, our clients, and as a factor in the development and proper functioning of capital markets.
It is not the role of shareholders to micro manage businesses, rather it is the role and duty of directors to promote the long-term success of their company as noted in the next section. Nevertheless, by virtue of their share-ownership interest and position, shareholders are afforded certain rights to ensure, amongst other things, that appropriate leadership of the business is in place (e.g. through the appointment of the directors), review their performance (e.g. through receipt of the annual report & accounts, updates and general meetings), approve the broad parameters of the company’s authorities (e.g. in agreeing capital authorities), or indeed to exercise other rights afforded to shareholders (e.g. to requisition matters for consideration at General meetings).
Shareholder rights, framed in law, regulation and a company’s formational documents (i.e., bylaws or articles of association), are an important and integral part of corporate governance frameworks and the context in which we retain confidence in committing capital to businesses, to support their growth, development and success. This is particularly true in terms of ensuring that minority shareholders’ rights and interests will be respected. Arrangements or actions that detract from these rights and interest (including control distortions) need to be avoided.
While the precise nature and scope of shareholder rights vary across jurisdictions and many related aspects of our expectations are touched upon in other parts of these Principles, a number merit direct mention in this context:
Equal treatment of all shareholders
One share one vote: Ordinary or common shares should feature one vote for each share and discriminatory voting rights or equivalent arrangements are neither appropriate nor welcome. Companies need to disclose sufficient information about the key attributes of all of the group’s capital structure (including minority interests in subsidiaries) to enable a proper understanding of the structures in place and their implications.
Controlling shareholder agreements: where a company has a controlling shareholder (whether by virtue of the control of voting rights or through board representation) it should put an agreement in place to safeguard the independence of the company and ability of the board to fulfill its duties to the shareholders as a whole.
Shareholder approvals
Boards should ensure that shareholders have the ability and right to:
effectively exercise their voting rights across the full range of business normally associated with general meetings of a company in line with market best practice (e.g. the election of individual directors, discharge authorities, capital authorities, auditor appointment, major or related party transactions etc).
place items on the agenda of general meetings, and to propose resolutions subject to reasonable limitations;
call a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of transacting the legitimate business of the company; and
that shareholder rights are not circumvented through, for example, the introduction or maintenance of limitations in the company’s formational documents.
Shareholder engagement
Boards should ensure that:
Clear, consistent and effective reporting to shareholders is undertaken at regular intervals and that they remain aware of shareholder sentiment on major issues to do with the business, its strategy and performance. Where significant shareholder dissent is emerging or apparent (e.g. through the voting levels seen at General Meetings), boards should act to address that.
Boards should also allow a reasonable opportunity for the shareholders at a general meeting to ask questions about or make comments on the management of the company, and to ask the external auditor questions related to the audit.
As an institutional shareholder, stewardship is about more than just voting and include monitoring and reviews of companies’ activities and developments. Where appropriate it may also include engagement with companies on matters such as strategy, performance, risk, capital structure, standards of operational practice, including environmental, social and governance factors. Our broad approach to these stewardship responsibilities and activities are set out in our Global Stewardship Statement.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-2

 

Table of Contents
The Board
Strong corporate governance starts with a balanced, effective, and independent board. The directors are collectively responsible for the long-term success and ongoing evolution in the leadership of the company, within a framework of prudent and effective oversight, policies and controls.
The board is thus responsible for providing leadership to the business, setting and monitoring the strategy, overseeing its management and implementation, as well as for ensuring that a culture of integrity and strong standards is maintained across all activities and operations. Not least this should enable business opportunities and risk to be assessed and responded to appropriately.
Boards need to have appropriate independent membership and an effective balance and diversity (re: skills, knowledge, experience, gender, approach and perspectives) that complements the strategy, operations and footprint of the business. For non-executive (supervisory) directors (NEDs), the ability to provide objective input and scrutiny, on behalf of the shareholders, is essential in ensuring diversity of thought and integrity in board deliberations. In this context, the importance of true independence of thought is critical. NEDs need to be reflective and thoughtful in their approach, being able to ask challenging, often difficult questions, while offering considered and constructive input to board discussions, based on sound judgement. The same holds true in terms of board committee membership. Suitably independent committees are one important mechanism for non-executive/supervisory directors to achieve this, whether that is in respect of risk, audit, succession or remuneration, so as to enable them to participate effectively as part of the board and in their role as directors of the business.
As part of this dynamic, well considered succession planning, orientation, on-going briefings, updates and annual evaluations (that make regular use of external facilitation) of the board, its sub-committees and members are essential.
All directors should be able to allocate sufficient time to the company to discharge their responsibilities fully and effectively and have an appropriate knowledge of the business and access to its operations and staff. Given the important role and duties of a board member, it is important that directors are not over-boarded and can maintain consistent participation at all their board and committee meetings and their wider engagement with the companies they lead.
All directors should be subject to annual election. However, in markets where that is not normal or best practice, we expect all directors to be subject to re-election in line with local market best practice, but in any case, at least every 4 years. At the same time, arrangements that might entrench boards or management, or otherwise insulate them from accountability, should be avoided.
Given their role and duties, directors should also ensure that they are well informed about the views and/or concerns of shareholders, as well as understanding the dynamic around their broader stakeholders (including bondholders, pension fund trustees, employees, customers, suppliers and the communities they operate in).
Chair of the Board
The Board Chair has a crucial function in providing leadership in the boardroom, setting the right context in terms of the board’s overall responsibility for the oversight of the business and its strategy. It is the Board Chair’s role to manage the board agenda and the provision of information to directors, as well as to ensure open boardroom discussion that enables the directors to have effective dialogue and provide the constructive challenge that a company needs. This role is distinct from the role of a chief executive officer who leads the day-to-day running of the business and implementation of the strategy.
We expect the Board Chair (or lead/senior independent director) to ensure that the board is aware of the views and considers concerns raised by shareholders, whether through ongoing dialogue and engagement with shareholders or where notable dissent has been indicated through shareholder voting.
We recognise that in some markets the combination of roles is not uncommon, nevertheless we regard the separation of the roles of the Board Chair and the CEO to be a matter of good practice and governance. In light of experience, we consider that this separation encourages collegial decision-making on matters of importance for a public company, and a balanced board, and it also mitigates potential conflicts of interest. Not least it also helps mitigate against the risk of a concentration of decision making powers in the hands of a single individual. Separation is deemed to improve the board’s capacity for independent decision making and increases accountability.
The Chair of the Board’s role should be complemented by an independent non-executive director appointed as the senior or lead independent director, who can provide a sounding board for the chairman and serve as a deputy and intermediary for the other directors and, indeed, shareholders when necessary.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-3

 

Table of Contents
Capital Management
Prudent capital management is a key building block for the long-term success of a business, supporting the strategy and ensuring its ability to weather adverse economic conditions. Clarity on financial capital, disciplines and how they relate to the strategy for growth, capital investment and M&A, or to share buybacks, dividends and/or other distributions, is a critical ingredient in building a shared understanding of the business with shareholders and other providers of capital.
From a shareholder perspective the rationale for and potential dilution from equity capital issuances and, for example, the risks of poorly timed or structured share buybacks are important considerations in granting capital authorities at shareholder meetings. These activities can have significant implications and need to be approached by boards and management with care and consideration for shareholder interests.
In seeking shareholder approval for equity capital issuance authorities, companies should ensure the rationale for policy on, and approach to, the use of such authorities is disclosed. Routine disapplication of pre-emption rights (pro-rata rights of first refusal) should not exceed 10% (or lower where that is market practice) and authorities should be structured in line with best practice.
Similarly, prudent management of debt through the cycle is important. Boards should ensure they monitor and oversee the maintenance of prudent levels of debt (e.g. average net-debt not just the year-end position) and leverage in the business and balance sheet, which should extend to contingent and off-balance sheet liabilities. They should also ensure that sudden spikes in leverage can be explained in the context of the broader long-term business strategy. Large, unexplained or unjustified authorities to issue debt, or to increase or remove debt limits set out in a company’s formational documents, can raise potentially significant concerns for both long-term shareholders and bondholders, which the board needs to be mindful of. Taking on debt solely to fund buybacks and/or hit ‘per-share’ targets such as EPS established under short-term variable remuneration schemes is neither good practice nor welcome.
Any exceptional cases should be supported by a substantive justification and explained properly to shareholders.
Major Transactions
Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and disposals are a regular feature of business and the capital markets. In many cases these are a normal part of the management and development of a business and the implementation of its strategy. However, large, inappropriate or poorly executed transactions can also lead to operational issues, significant write-downs and shareholder value destruction.
Boards should be actively involved in the planning for and assessment of potential transactions, ensuring that an appropriately disciplined approach (to both acquisitions and disposals) is maintained that is clearly aligned with the strategy. Ensuring appropriate and effective oversight of such activity is critical and monitoring the integration and subsequent performance against plan and related objectives (including synergies) is an important role of the board.
Where major transactions are not subject to shareholder approval, companies should consider the views of their major shareholders, subject to regulatory constraints and shareholders’ policies on being made ‘insiders’.
Related Party Transactions
The scope for conflicts and abuse in related party transactions in any market is a potentially significant issue. Such concerns can arise in relation to individual transactions or from the number, nature or pattern of them. Alongside appropriate procedures to identify and manage conflicts of interest, boards should have a robust, independent process for reviewing, approving and monitoring related party transactions (both individual transactions and in aggregate).
A committee of independent directors, with the ability to take independent advice, should review related party transactions, their nature and their incidence or aggregate levels, to determine whether they are necessary, appropriate and in the best interests of the company and, if so, agree what terms are fair for other shareholders. All related party transactions should be reported to the board and be subject to approval. The company should also disclose transactions that are significant, whether by virtue of their materiality to the business, the individuals involved or given the risk of perceived conflicts of interest, along with the rationale for allowing them.
Where a related party transaction is allowed to proceed it must be:
subject to proper oversight by the board and regular review (e.g. audit, shareholder approval);
clearly justified and not be detrimental to the long-term interests of the company;
undertaken in the normal course of business;
undertaken on fully commercial terms;
In line with best practice; and
In the interests of all shareholders.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-4

 

Table of Contents
Tax Management
Tax management, approached prudently and legally, is part of the responsible management of a company’s affairs. Artificial or ‘aggressive’ tax strategies and constructs create imprudent risks for a company. They can pose potentially significant reputation and commercial risks for those that are, or are perceived to be, pushing the boundaries of tax practice by, for example, exploiting loopholes and tax havens to avoid paying tax. The same reputation risks hold in respect of the directors of companies involved in such practices and the perception of the culture and attitudes it evidences. This applies equally to the use of tax avoidance structures in executive compensation arrangements, as it does at a corporate level.
From an investor perspective, tax management offers an insight into the culture predominant in a company and the attitudes and risk appetite of the management and directors. It also offers an additional indicator on the quality of earnings, risk and potential liabilities of a business, which can be relevant in terms of valuation and the investment quality of a business.
We expect the board to take a responsible approach to overseeing a company’s approach to and policy on tax and the related risks, to ensure that the company’s approach is and remains prudent and sustainable. The risks arising from engineered tax optimization practices should be understood and avoided; those arising from policy reforms (e.g. those being coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and other authorities) should be properly mitigated. The board should regularly review the business’s tax policy, its implementation and the related risks, as well as in response to significant events that may affect it. A summary of the tax policy and related codes of conduct should be published by companies, highlighting the approach to managing the associated risks.
In terms of changes in tax domicile or re-incorporation, while economic benefit may be gained, there should be no diminution of shareholders rights as a result of the changes, nor triggering of variable compensation as a result of the associated technical, legal or structural changes required.
Annual Report and Accounts
Annual reports and accounts are a key reference document for shareholders and the providers of a company’s long-term capital. They should provide a summary account of the board’s stewardship of the business that year (as opposed say to being designed or prepared for a secondary market context i.e. decision usefulness), whilst setting a direction of travel for the future.
In the annual report, the board should present a fair, balanced and understandable assessment of the company’s strategy, business plan, objectives, KPIs, capital and assets, operations, risks, challenges, performance and prospects in its annual report. This should include how the business’ approach is adapting to major trends (e.g. from technology, climate change or demographics etc) that could have a material impact on the business and the related risks and opportunities it sees and how they affect the sustainability of the business and its long-term prospects.
The annual financial statements (accounts) need to be prepared on a prudent basis and present a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the business, its assets, liabilities, financial position and distributable profit or the loss. Boards should ensure that aggressive accounting practices are avoided and recognise that headline compliance with accounting standards, where significant judgement and discretion can be used, is unlikely of itself to effectively provide comfort that a ‘true & fair view’ is being maintained. Boards should ensure company practice does not fall into the trap of accounting form over substance.
The annual report and accounts are a reflection of the quality and prudence of management and the board of directors. Managements should strive for perfection in delivering these important documents. Errors and omissions may ultimately factor in our view toward the constitution and effectiveness of management and the board.
While recognizing the differences that exist in market norms and dynamics, we expect companies to plan for and look to the long-term in their reporting. The board should ensure that the company does not become fixated on quarterly numbers at the expense of investment for the long-term.
External Audit
The statutory audit is a significant and important shareholder and creditor protection mechanism, to which we attach considerable importance. Its purpose is to protect the company itself from errors, omissions or, potentially, wrongdoing, as well as to signal any issues to shareholders to enable them to engage with the directors, not least through the general meeting.
Companies should, therefore, ensure that the relationship with the auditor is clearly owned and overseen by the Audit Committee and that they maintain a robust, independent and effective audit and that the auditors are and are seen to be independent. As part of this, companies should have a clear policy on the approach to and timeframes for re-tendering the audit contract.
Non-audit work should be kept to a minimum, require prior audit committee approval and largely be restricted to audit related work. Audit committees should also oversee any work undertaken by other audit firms to ensure that the company’s options and choice of alternative auditors is not compromised by potential conflicts.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-5

 

Table of Contents
Internal Audit and Risk Committees
Companies need to maintain an effective system of internal control, which should be measured against internationally accepted standards of internal audit and tested periodically for its adequacy.
Companies are encouraged to have an internal audit function that supports the board and executives in the oversight and management of risks. We expect financial institutions to maintain a separate risk committee and support this practice, where appropriate, in other companies.
Compensation/Remuneration
Executive pay has been a persistent area of concern and controversy over the years. Given the problems around executive pay inflation, widening pay differentials, questions about the linkage with performance and perceived rewards for failure, and complexity, compensation (remuneration) committees need to ensure a prudent approach is maintained.
We expect a substantial proportion of executive pay to be performance based, vesting according to the achievement of stretching performance metrics that are clearly aligned with the company’s strategy, management’s value creation and the experience of its shareholders. In terms of pay and overall employee costs, we will have particular regard to the relative levels of pay compared to the performance of the business, distributions to shareholders.
Across a company’s pay arrangements, structural or technical provisions that can weaken or undermine the principle of pay for performance, need to be avoided. Similarly, we are generally supportive of local market best practices that enhance the alignment of pay and performance, such as retention and deferral arrangements, malus/clawback, reasonable all-employee share schemes etc. Consideration should also be given to the emerging disclosures required around pay ratios and the ramifications for the companies in which we invest.
Broadly speaking, compensation (remuneration) committees should look to ensure that their company’s pay arrangements are:
1. Clear, simple and understandable;
2. Balanced and proportionate, in respect of structure, deliverables, opportunity and the market;
3. Aligned with the long-term strategy, related key performance indicators and risk management discipline;
4. Linked robustly to the delivery of performance;
5. Delivering outcomes that reflect value creation and the shareholder ‘experience’; and
6. Structured to avoid pay for failure or the avoidance of accountability to shareholders.
Where a company consults with its shareholders on its executive pay arrangements, the compensation (remuneration) committee chair should take ownership and lead that process, ensuring proper two-way dialogue, as deference to consultants undermines credibility. That said, pay is only one aspect of the dialogue we need to have or prioritise with companies. As a result, we would note that, generally, we only look to participate directly in such consultations where we are a significant shareholder.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practices
Broader ESG practices provide shareholders with an additional lens into the quality, leadership, strategic focus and operational standards of practice of a business. Reflecting our philosophy on the importance of integrating ESG considerations into our assessment of how well a business is run, we will consider the level and effectiveness of ESG disclosure made by companies in their annual reports and other materials. Our focus will be on those factors deemed material to businesses in a given sector with a focus on practices deemed unsustainable or in need of improvement to protect shareholder value.
We aim to assess company’s focus, management and effectiveness in dealing with the environmental and social issues most relevant to their business. In cases where management and the board have not demonstrated adequate efforts to be transparent and address or mitigate material ESG issues, or are considered to be failing to adequately address current or emergent risks that may threaten shareholder value in future, we may take voting action to highlight this.
We will also be mindful of companies’ adherence to proper standards of operational practices and where, for example, those practices fail to meet generally accepted international standards (e.g. adherence to the UN Global Compact, UN Convention on Human Rights or International Labour Organisation Core Labor Standards), this will be taken into account as part of our deliberations on voting action.
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-6

 

Table of Contents
Shareholder Resolutions
As part of this focus, shareholder resolutions represent the exercise of a key shareholder right, although they can encompass a wide range of issues. However, they are commonly focused on environmental and social issues.
We assess shareholder resolutions in light of good practice, the standards already applied by a company, how proportionate the proposals are, their alignment with our philosophy and approach, as well any potential conflicts with our client’s interests. We will also have regard to whether a shareholder resolution is binding in nature or advisory (non-binding) in applying these considerations.
S-6466-20 AT (5/20)
Statement of Additional Information – May 1, 2020 B-7
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(a)(1) Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 11, 2007 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (a)(1) 9/28/2007
(a)(2) Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 9, 2008 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A (a)(2) 4/21/2008
(a)(3) Amendment No. 3 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 8, 2009 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #5 on Form N-1A (a)(3) 4/29/2009
(a)(4) Amendment No. 4 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 14, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #8 on Form N-1A (a)(4) 4/14/2010
(a)(5) Amendment No. 5 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 6, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #9 on Form N-1A (a)(5) 4/30/2010
(a)(6) Amendment No. 6 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 11, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (a)(6) 4/29/2011
(a)(7) Amendment No. 7 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 13, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (a)(7) 4/29/2011
(a)(8) Amendment No. 8 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 15, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A (a)(8) 3/2/2012
(a)(9) Amendment No. 9 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 12, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A (a)(9) 3/2/2012
(a)(10) Amendment No. 10 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 14, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(10) 4/26/2013
(a)(11) Amendment No. 11 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(11) 4/26/2013
(a)(12) Amendment No. 12 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 16, 2013 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(12) 4/26/2013
(a)(13) Amendment No. 13 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 17, 2013 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A (a)(13) 4/26/2013
(a)(14) Amendment No. 14 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 11, 2014 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (a)(14) 4/29/2014
(a)(15) Amendment No. 15 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 14, 2015 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #46 on Form N-1A (a)(15) 5/15/2015
(a)(16) Amendment No. 16 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 19, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (a)(16) 4/28/2016

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(a)(17) Amendment No. 17 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #54 on Form N-1A (a)(17) 2/17/2017
(a)(18) Amendment No. 18 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective April 21, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (a)(18) 4/27/2017
(a)(19) Amendment No. 19 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective November 14, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (a)(19) 12/19/2017
(a)(20) Amendment No. 20 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective December 19, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A (a)(20) 2/21/2018
(a)(21) Amendment No. 21 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective May 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (a)(21) 12/7/2018
(a)(22) Amendment No. 22 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective September 13, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (a)(22) 12/7/2018
(a)(23) Amendment No. 23 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective January 31, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (a)(23) 4/26/2019
(a)(24) Amendment No. 24 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 19, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (a)(24) 4/28/2020
(b) By-laws, effective September 6, 2007, most recently amended February 10, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (b) 4/28/2016
(c) Stock Certificate:
Not Applicable.
           
(d)(1) Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(1) 4/28/2016
(d)(1)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B, effective July 1, 2019, to the Management Agreement (amended and restated), dated April 25, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #184 on Form N-1A (d)(1)(i) 7/29/2019
(d)(2) Management Agreement, dated November 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(2) 12/19/2017
(d)(2)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B, effective February 2, 2018, to the Management Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #175 on Form N-1A (d)(2)(i) 2/16/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(3) Management Agreement, effective May 1, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and CVPCSF Offshore Fund, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund, a series of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(3) 4/28/2016
(d)(4) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and American Century Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(4) 5/15/2014
(d)(4)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of September 20, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and American Century Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(4)(i) 12/19/2017
(d)(5) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 13, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and AQR Capital Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (d)(5) 4/27/2018
(d)(6)(i) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 26, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (d)(6)(i) 4/27/2018
(d)(6)(ii) Sub-Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 26, 2018, between BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and BlackRock International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (d)(6)(ii) 4/27/2018
(d)(7) Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and BMO Asset Management Corp. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (d)(6) 4/27/2017
(d)(7)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of August 2, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and BMO Asset Management Corp. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(7)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(8) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 2, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A (d)(7) 2/21/2018
(d)(9) Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 23, 2011, amended December 5, 2013 (Amendment No. 1), between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(9) 5/15/2014

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(9)(i) Amendment No. 2, as of June 5, 2014, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 23, 2011, amended December 5, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #41 on Form N-1A (d)(10) 8/20/2014
(d)(9)(ii) Amendment No. 3, as of January 30, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 23, 2011, amended December 5, 2013 and June 5, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (d)(10)(ii) 4/26/2019
(d)(9)(iii) Amendment No. 4, as of November 20, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 23, 2011, amended December 5, 2013, June 5, 2014 and January 30, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #206 on Form N-1A (d)(10)(ii) 12/20/2019
(d)(10) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(14) 5/15/2014
(d)(10)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of June 17, 2014, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #42 on Form N-1A (d)(16) 8/20/2014
(d)(10)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of April 21, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended June 17, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #57 on Form N-1A (d)(15) 9/18/2017
(d)(10)(iii) Amendment No. 3, as of June 28, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended June 17, 2014 and April 21, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(11)(iii) 12/7/2018
(d)(11) Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (d)(16) 4/27/2017
(d)(11)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of July 13, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(i) 12/7/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(11)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of March 19, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, as amended July 13, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(ii) 05/20/2019
(d)(12) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(16) 5/15/2014
(d)(12)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of November 19, 2015, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(17) 4/28/2016
(d)(12)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of October 21, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(ii) 4/28/2020
(d)(12)(iii) Amendment No. 3, as of February 5, 2020, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015 and October 21, 2019 between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(12)(iii) 4/28/2020
(d)(13) Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (d)(21) 4/27/2017
(d)(13)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of May 31, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(15)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(13)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of November 20, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, as amended May 31, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(13)(ii) 4/28/2020
(d)(14) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(18) 5/15/2014

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(14)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of February 10, 2016, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(20) 4/28/2016
(d)(14)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of September 20, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended February 10, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(ii) 12/19/2017
(d)(15) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(20) 5/15/2014
(d)(15)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of February 10, 2016, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (d)(22) 4/28/2016
(d)(15)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of March 27, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended February 10, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(17)(ii) 12/7/2018
(d)(16) Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #55 on Form N-1A (d)(26) 4/27/2017
(d)(16)(i) Amendment No. 1, dated May 31, 2018 to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(18)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(17) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 18, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Scout Investments, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(18) 5/20/2019
(d)(18) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 18, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #41 on Form N-1A (d)(27) 8/20/2014
(d)(18)(i) Amendment No. 1, dated March 13, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 18, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(21)(i) 12/7/2018

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(19) Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #53 on Form N-1A (d)(29) 11/14/2016
(d)(19)(i) Amendment No. 1, dated July 24, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(19)(ii) Amendment No. 2, dated November 9, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, as amended July 24, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(ii) 12/7/2018
(d)(19)(iii) Amendment No. 3, dated March 19, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated September 14, 2016, as amended July 24, 2018 and November 9, 2018 between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(iii) 5/20/2019
(d)(20) Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and TCW Investment Management Company Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(26) 5/15/2014
(d)(20)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of November 1, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and TCW Investment Management Company LLC (formerly TCW Investment Management Company) Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(20)(i) 4/28/2020
(d)(21) Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 11, 2008, last amended January 16, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Threadneedle International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(27) 5/15/2014
(d)(21)(i) Amendment, as of November 1, 2018, to Amended and Restated Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 11, 2008, last amended January 16, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Threadneedle International Limited Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(24)(i) 12/7/2018
(d)(22) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 19, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Victory Capital Management Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(29) 5/15/2014
(d)(22)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of May 13, 2019, to Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 19, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Victory Capital Management Inc. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (d)(22)(i) 4/28/2020

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(d)(23) Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Wells Capital Management Incorporated Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (d)(30) 5/15/2014
(d)(23)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of July 18, 2014, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Wells Capital Management Incorporated Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #42 on Form N-1A (d)(34) 10/15/2014
(d)(23)(ii) Amendment No. 2, dated April 21, 2017, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended July 18, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Wells Capital Management Incorporated Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #57 on Form N-1A (d)(35) 9/18/2017
(d)(23)(iii) Amendment No. 3, as of June 25, 2018, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated April 8, 2010, as amended July 18, 2014 and April 21, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (formerly RiverSource Investments, LLC) and Wells Capital Management Incorporated Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #66 on Form N-1A (d)(26)(iii) 12/7/2018
(d)(24) Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 21, 2017, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #57 on Form N-1A (d)(36) 9/18/2017
(d)(25) Subadvisory Agreement, dated March 19, 2019, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and William Blair Investment Management, LLC Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (d)(26) 5/20/2019
(e)(1) Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement by and between Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #50 on Form N-1A (e)(1) 4/28/2016
(e)(1)(i) Schedule I, effective July 1, 2019, and Schedule II, dated September 7, 2010, to the Distribution Agreement, amended and restated as of March 1, 2016, between Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (e)(1)(i) 4/28/2020
(f) Deferred Compensation Plan, adopted as of December 31, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #52 on Form N-1A (f) 2/24/2012
(g)(1) Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (g)(1) 5/15/2014

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(g)(2) Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Fund, now known as Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund), dated March 9, 2012, and Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund), dated March 15, 2013, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #39 on Form N-1A (g)(2) 5/15/2014
(g)(3) Side letter (related to the China Connect Service on behalf of Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Fund and Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund (formerly known as Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select International Equity Fund)), dated March 6, 2018, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (g)(3) 4/27/2018
(g)(4) Addendum (related to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund), dated November 8, 2017, to the Second Amended and Restated Master Global Custody Agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., dated March 7, 2011 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (g)(4) 12/19/2017
(h)(1) Shareholder Services Agreement by and between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., dated July 1, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #57 on Form N-1A (h)(1) 9/18/2017
(h)(1)(i) Schedule A, effective May 1, 2018, and Schedule B, effective July 1, 2017, to the Shareholder Services Agreement by and between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., dated July 1, 2017 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (h)(1)(i) 4/27/2018
(h)(2) Amended and Restated Fee Waiver and Expense Cap Agreement, effective July 1, 2016, by and among Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #145 on Form N-1A (h)(5) 6/27/2016

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(h)(2)(i) Schedule A, effective July 1, 2019, to the Amended and Restated Fee Waiver and Expense Cap Agreement, effective July 1, 2016, by and among Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., the Registrant, Columbia Funds Series Trust and Columbia Funds Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #184 on Form N-1A (h)(2)(i) 7/29/2019
(h)(3) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated September 11, 2007, between RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of a Minnesota corporation, and corresponding RiverSource Variable Portfolio Funds, each a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, a Massachusetts business trust, and between RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Core Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, and RiverSource Variable Portfolio – Diversified Bond Fund, a series of RiverSource Variable Series Trust, now known as Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #2 on Form N-1A (h)(5) 4/21/2008
(h)(4) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 20, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (h)(9) 4/29/2011
(h)(5) Agreement and Plan of Redomiciling, dated December 20, 2010 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A (h)(10) 4/29/2011
(h)(6) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated Octob8er 9, 2012 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-89661 Post-Effective Amendment #117 on Form N-1A (h)(9) 5/30/2013
(h)(7) Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated December 17, 2015 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-208706 Registration Statement on Form N-14 (4) 12/22/2015
(h)(8) Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, as of December 3, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (h)(7) 12/20/2019
(h)(9) Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement, dated May 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (h)(11) 5/25/2018
(h)(9)(i) Schedule A and Schedule B to the Master Inter-Fund Lending Agreement, dated July 1, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust 333-208706 Registration Statement on Form N-1A (h)(8)(i) 7/29/2019
(i)(1) Opinion and consent of counsel as to the legality of the securities being registered Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (i) 4/29/2014
(i)(2) Opinion and consent of counsel as to the legality of the securities being registered for Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #59 on Form N-1A (i)(2) 12/19/2017

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (j) 4/28/2020
(k) Omitted Financial Statements: Not Applicable.            
(l) Initial Capital Agreement: Not Applicable.            
(m)(1) Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #38 on Form N-1A (m)(1) 4/29/2014
(m)(1)(i) Schedule A, effective July 1, 2019, to the Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (m)(1)(i) 4/28/2020
(n) Rule 18f – 3(d) Plan, amended and restated June 19, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (n) 4/28/2020
(o) Reserved.            
(p)(1) Code of Ethics adopted under Rule 17j-1 for Registrant, effective March 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (p)(1) 4/26/2019
(p)(2) Columbia Threadneedle Global Personal Account Dealing and Code of Ethics Policy, effective December 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust II 333-131683 Post-Effective Amendment #209 on Form N-1A (p)(2) 2/27/2019
(p)(3) American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated August 21, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(3) 4/28/2020
(p)(4) AQR Capital Management, LLC Code of Ethics, as amended April 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #349 on Form N-1A (p)(3) 4/25/2019
(p)(5) BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective November 23, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (p)(5) 4/26/2019
(p)(6) BMO Asset Management Corp. Code of Ethics, dated October 30, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #374 on Form N-1A (p)(9) 4/27/2020
(p)(7) CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Code of Ethics, effective December 5, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(7) 4/28/2020
(p)(8) Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Code of Ethics, effective January, 2020 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(8) 4/28/2020
(p)(9) J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective February 1, 2005, last revised December 13, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(9) 4/28/2020
(p)(10) Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, dated January 1, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #62 on Form N-1A (p)(12) 4/27/2017

 

Exhibit
Number
Exhibit Description Filed Herewith or
Incorporated by Reference
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference
Registrant
that Made
the Filing
File No.
of Such
Registrant
Type of
Filing
Exhibit of
Document
in that
Filing
Filing
Date
(p)(11) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, effective January 14, 2000, as amended April 18, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #332 on Form N-1A (p)(11) 8/27/2018
(p)(12) Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. Code of Ethics, dated January 7, 2020 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(12) 4/28/2020
(p)(13) Massachusetts Financial Services Company Code of Ethics, effective December 16, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(13) 4/28/2020
(p)(14) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective December 12, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(14) 4/28/2020
(p)(15) Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Code of Ethics, dated August 26, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(15) 4/28/2020
(p)(16) Scout Investments, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective August 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(16) 4/28/2020
(p)(17) Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC Code of Ethics, dated October 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A (p)(18) 4/26/2019
(p)(18) T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Its Affiliates Code of Ethics, as of December 1, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(18) 4/28/2020
(p)(19) TCW Investment Management Company LLC Code of Ethics, dated December 16, 2019 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #374 on Form N-1A (p)(5) 4/27/2020
(p)(20) Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective July 1, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(20) 4/28/2020
(p)(21) Wells Capital Management Incorporated Code of Ethics, effective January 2020 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Series Trust I 2-99356 Post-Effective Amendment #374 on Form N-1A (p)(11) 4/27/2020
(p)(22) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, as of August 16, 2019 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (p)(22) 4/28/2020
(p)(23) William Blair Investment Management, LLC Code of Ethics, as of July 31, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #70 on Form N-1A (p)(24) 5/20/2019
(q)(1) Trustees’ Power of Attorney to sign Amendments to this Registration Statement, dated January 1, 2018 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #61 on Form N-1A (q)(1) 2/21/2018
(q)(2) Power of Attorney for Michael G. Clarke, dated May 23, 2016 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #52 on Form N-1A (q)(3) 6/1/2016
(q)(3) Power of Attorney for Christopher O. Petersen, dated February 16, 2015 Incorporated by Reference Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #44 on Form N-1A (q)(5) 2/20/2015
(q)(4) Power of Attorney for Joseph Beranek, dated January 3, 2020 Filed herewith Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II 333-146374 Post-Effective Amendment #71 on Form N-1A (q)(4) 4/28/2020

 

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the investment manager or Columbia Management), as sponsor of the Columbia funds, may make initial capital investments in Columbia funds (seed accounts). Columbia Management also serves as investment manager of certain Columbia funds-of-funds that invest primarily in shares of affiliated funds (the underlying funds). Columbia Management does not make initial capital investments or invest in underlying funds for the purpose of exercising control. However, since these ownership interests may be significant, in excess of 25%, such that Columbia Management may be deemed to control certain Columbia funds, procedures have been put in place to assure that public shareholders determine the outcome of all actions taken at shareholder meetings. Specifically, Columbia Management (which votes proxies for the seed accounts) and the Boards of Trustees of the affiliated funds-of-funds (which votes proxies for the affiliated funds-of-funds) vote on each proposal in the same proportion as the vote of the direct public shareholders vote; provided, however, that if there are no direct public shareholders of an underlying fund or if direct public shareholders represent only a minority interest in an underlying fund, the Fund may cast votes in accordance with instructions from the independent members of the Board.
Item 30. Indemnification
Article VII of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, provides that no trustee or officer of the Registrant shall be subject to any liability to any person in connection with Registrant property or the affairs of the Registrant, and no trustee shall be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Registrant or for the act or omission of any other trustee, all as more fully set forth in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which is filed as an exhibit to this registration statement. Article 5 of the Registrant’s Bylaws provides that the Registrant shall indemnify and hold harmless its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at the Registrant’s request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which the Registrant has any interest) (Covered Persons) against liabilities and expenses in connection with the defense or disposition of any proceeding in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened by reason of any alleged act or omission as a trustee or officer or by reason of his or her being or having been such a Covered Person, under specified circumstances, all as more fully set forth in the Bylaws, which are filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) provides that no instrument pursuant to which Registrant is organized or administered shall contain any provision which protects or purports to protect any trustee or officer of Registrant against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust provides that nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect any trustee or officer against any liabilities to the Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position with or on behalf of the Registrant and the Registrant’s Bylaws provides that no Covered Person shall be indemnified against any liability to the Registrant or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person’s office.
Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. agrees to indemnify the Registrant, its officers and trustees against claims, demands, liabilities and expenses under specified circumstances, all as more fully set forth in the Registrant’s Distribution Agreement, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
The Registrant may be party to other contracts that include indemnification provisions for the benefit of the Registrant’s trustees and officers.
The trustees and officers of the Registrant and the personnel of the Registrant’s investment adviser and principal underwriter are insured under an errors and omissions liability insurance policy. Registrant’s investment adviser, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, maintains investment advisory professional liability insurance to insure it, for the benefit of Registrant and its non-interested trustees, against loss arising out of any effort, omission, or breach of any duty owed to Registrant or any series of Registrant by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant’s organizational instruments or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is unenforceable.

 

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
To the knowledge of the Registrant, none of the directors or officers of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management), the Registrant’s investment adviser, or any subadviser to a series of the Registrant, except as set forth below, are or have been, at any time during the Registrant’s past two fiscal years, engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature.
(1) Columbia Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., performs investment advisory services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Columbia Management and the directors and principal officers of Columbia Management is also included in the Form ADV filed by Columbia Management with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-25943), which information is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to their position with Columbia Management, certain directors and officers of Columbia Management also hold various positions with, and engage in business for, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its other subsidiaries.
(2) American Century Investment Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by American Century Investment Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of American Century Investment Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of American Century Investment Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by American Century Investment Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-8174), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(3) AQR Capital Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of AQR Capital Management, LLC and certain of its officers is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s portfolio(s) subadvised by AQR Capital Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of AQR Capital Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of AQR Capital Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by AQR Capital Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-55543), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(4) BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-48433), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(5) BlackRock International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BlackRock International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by BlackRock International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BlackRock International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of BlackRock International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by BlackRock International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-51087), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(6) BMO Asset Management Corp. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of BMO Asset Management Corp. and certain of its officers is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s portfolio(s) subadvised by BMO Asset Management Corp. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of BMO Asset Management Corp. and the directors and principal executive officers of BMO Asset Management Corp. is also included in the Form ADV filed by BMO Asset Management Corp. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-35533), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(7) CenterSquare Investment Management LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of CenterSquare

 

  Investment Management LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of CenterSquare Investment Management LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by CenterSquare Investment Management LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-111965), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(8) Dimensional Fund Advisors LP performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Dimensional Fund Advisors, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-16283), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(9) J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21011), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(10) Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-28257), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(11) Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.is also included in the Form ADV filed by Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-170), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(12) Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. and certain of its officers is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s portfolio(s) subadvised by Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-60934), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(13) Massachusetts Financial Services Company performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Massachusetts Financial Services Company and the directors and principal executive officers of Massachusetts Financial Services Company is also included in the Form ADV filed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-17352), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(14) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Morgan Stanley

 

  Investment Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-15757), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(15) Nuveen Asset Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Nuveen Asset Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-71957), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(16) Scout Investments, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Scout Investments, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Scout Investments, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Scout Investments, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Scout Investments, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Scout Investments, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-60188), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(17) Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-47232), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(18) T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-856), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(19) TCW Investment Management Company LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by TCW Investment Management Company LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of TCW Investment Management Company LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of TCW Investment Management Company LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by TCW Investment Management Company LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-29075), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(20) Threadneedle International Limited performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Threadneedle International Limited is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Threadneedle International Limited and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Threadneedle International Limited and the directors and principal executive officers of Threadneedle International Limited is also included in the Form ADV filed by Threadneedle International Limited with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-63196), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(21) Victory Capital Management Inc. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Victory Capital Management Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Victory Capital Management Inc. and the directors and principal executive officers of Victory Capital Management Inc. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Victory Capital Management Inc. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-46878), which information is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(22) Wells Capital Management Incorporated performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Wells Capital Management Incorporated is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Wells Capital Management Incorporated and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Wells Capital Management Incorporated and the directors and principal executive officers of Wells Capital Management Incorporated is also included in the Form ADV filed by Wells Capital Management Incorporated with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-21122), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(23) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. and the directors and principal executive officers of Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. is also included in the Form ADV filed by Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-69413), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
(24) William Blair Investment Management, LLC performs investment management services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is set forth in the Prospectus(es) and Statement of Additional Information of the Registrant’s series that are subadvised by William Blair Investment Management, LLC and is incorporated herein by reference. Information about the business of William Blair Investment Management, LLC and the directors and principal executive officers of William Blair Investment Management, LLC is also included in the Form ADV filed by William Blair Investment Management, LLC with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-80640), which information is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
(a) Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies, including the Registrant:
  Columbia Acorn Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust; Columbia Funds Series Trust I; Columbia Funds Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II; Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust and Wanger Advisors Trust.
(b) As to each director, principal officer or partner of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
    
Name and
Principal Business Address*
  Position and Offices
with Principal Underwriter
  Positions and Offices with Registrant
William F. Truscott   Chief Executive Officer and Director   Board Member, Senior Vice President
Scott E. Couto   President and Director   None
Michael S. Mattox   Chief Financial Officer   None
Michael E. DeFao   Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary   Vice President and Assistant Secretary
Stephen O. Buff   Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer   None
James Bumpus   Vice President – National Sales Manager   None
Thomas A. Jones   Vice President and Head of Strategic Relations   None
Gary Rawdon   Vice President – Sales Governance and Administration   None
Leslie A. Walstrom   Vice President and Head of North America Marketing   None
Daniel J. Beckman   Vice President and Head of North America Product and Director   None
Marc Zeitoun   Chief Operating Officer, North American Distribution   None
Thomas R. Moore   Secretary   None
Paul B. Goucher   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary
Amy L. Hackbarth   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Mark D. Kaplan   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Nancy W. LeDonne   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   None
Ryan C. Larrenaga   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Joseph L. D’Alessandro   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   Assistant Secretary

 

Name and
Principal Business Address*
  Position and Offices
with Principal Underwriter
  Positions and Offices with Registrant
Christopher O. Petersen   Vice President and Assistant Secretary   President and
Principal Executive Officer
Shweta J. Jhanji   Vice President and Treasurer   None
Michael Tempesta   Anti-Money Laundering Officer and Identity Theft Prevention Officer   None
Kevin Wasp   Ombudsman   None
Kristin Weisser   Conflicts Officer   None
* The principal business address of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc. is 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110.
(c) Not Applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
Persons maintaining physical possession of accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder include:
Registrant, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110;
Registrant’s investment adviser and administrator, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110;
Registrant’s subadviser, American Century Investment Management, Inc., 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111-7709;
Registrant’s subadviser, AQR Capital Management, LLC, Two Greenwich Plaza, 3rd Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830;
Registrant’s subadviser, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., 55 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10055;
Registrant’s sub-subadviser, BlackRock International Limited, Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL, Scotland;
Registrant’s subadviser, BMO Asset Management Corp., 115 South LaSalle Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60603;
Registrant’s subadviser, CenterSquare Investment Management LLC, 630 W Germantown Pike, Suite 300, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462;
Registrant’s subadviser, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746;
Registrant’s subadviser, J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179;
Registrant’s subadviser, Jacobs Levy Equity Management, Inc., 100 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor West, Florham Park, NJ 07932-0650;
Registrant’s subadviser, Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111-2621;
Registrant’s subadviser, Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc., 11150 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025;
Registrant’s subadviser, Massachusetts Financial Services Company, 111 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02199;
Registrant’s subadviser, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc., 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036;
Registrant’s subadviser, Nuveen Asset Management, LLC, 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606;
Registrant’s subadviser, Scout Investments, Inc., 1201 Walnut Street, 21st Floor, Kansas City, MO 64106;
Registrant’s subadviser, Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC, 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551;
Registrant’s subadviser, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202;
Registrant’s subadviser, TCW Investment Management Company LLC, 865 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017;
Registrant’s subadviser, Threadneedle International Limited, Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6AG, UK;
Registrant’s subadviser, Victory Capital Management Inc., 15935 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256;
Registrant’s subadviser, Wells Capital Management Incorporated, 525 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105;
Registrant’s subadviser, Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P., One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111;
Registrant’s subadviser, William Blair Investment Management, LLC, 150 North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL, 60606;
Former subadviser, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, 71 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606;
Former subadviser, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, TX 75201-2761;

 

Former subadviser, Davis Selected Advisers, L.P., 2949 East Elvira Road, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85756;
Former subadviser, Denver Investment Advisors LLC, 370 17th Street, Suite 5000, Denver, CO 80202 (merged into Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC, 540 West Madison Street, Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60661-2551);
Former subadviser, Eaton Vance Management, Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110;
Former subadviser, FIAM LLC (d/b/a Pyramis Global Advisors), 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, RI 02917;
Former subadviser, Donald Smith & Co., Inc., 152 West 57th Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10019;
Former subadviser, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282;
Former subadviser, Holland Capital Management LLC, 303 W. Madison Street, Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60606;
Former subadviser, Invesco Advisers, Inc., 1555 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309;
Former subadviser, Jennison Associates LLC, 466 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017;
Former subadviser, Kennedy Capital Management, Inc., 10829 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63141;
Former subadviser, The London Company of Virginia, 1800 Bayberry Court, Suite 301, Richmond, VA 23226;
Former subadviser, Marsico Capital Management, LLC, 1200 17th Street, Suite 1600, Denver, CO 80202;
Former subadviser, Mondrian Investment Partners Limited, 10 Gresham Street, 5th Floor, London EC2V7JD, UK;
Former subadviser, NFJ Investment Group LLC, 2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75201 (merged into Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC, 2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 700, Dallas, TX 75201);
Former subadviser, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10281;
Former subadviser, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, 650 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660;
Former subadviser, Palisade Capital Management, L.L.C., One Bridge Plaza North, Suite 695, Fort Lee, NJ 07024;
Former subadviser, River Road Asset Management, LLC, 462 South Fourth Street, Suite 2000, Louisville, KY 40202-3466;
Former subadviser, Sit Investment Associates, Inc., 3300 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402;
Former subadviser, Snow Capital Management L.P., 1605 Carmody Court, Suite 300, Sewickley, PA 15143-8992;
Former subadviser, Turner Investments, L.P., 1205 Westlakes Drive, Suite 100, Berwyn, PA 19312 (merged into Turner Investments LLC, 1000 Chesterbrook Boulevard, 1st Floor, Berwyn, PA 19312-2414);
Former subadviser, Winslow Capital Management, LLC, 4400 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402;
Registrant’s principal underwriter, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110;
Registrant’s transfer agent, Columbia Management Investment Services Corp., 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110;
Registrant’s sub-transfer agent, DST Asset Manager Services, 2000 Crown Colony Dr., Quincy, MA 02169; and
Registrant’s custodian, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 1 Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, NY 10005.
In addition, Iron Mountain Records Management is an off-site storage facility housing historical records that are no longer required to be maintained on-site. Records stored at this facility include various trading and accounting records, as well as other miscellaneous records. The address for Iron Mountain Records Management is 920 & 950 Apollo Road, Eagan, MN 55121.
Certain information on the above-referenced physical possession of accounts, books and other documents is also included in the Registrant’s filings on Form N-CEN filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2020.
Item 34. Management Services
Not Applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not Applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II, certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Amendment to its Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, and the State of Minnesota on the 28th day of April, 2020.
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
By: /s/ Christopher O. Petersen
  Christopher O. Petersen
President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 28th day of April, 2020.
Signature Capacity Signature Capacity
/s/ Christopher O. Petersen President
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Patricia M. Flynn* Trustee
Christopher O. Petersen Patricia M. Flynn
/s/ Michael G. Clarke* Chief Financial Officer,
Principal Financial Officer
and Senior Vice President
/s/ Brian J. Gallagher* Trustee
Michael G. Clarke Brian J. Gallagher
/s/ Joseph Beranek* Treasurer, Chief
Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer) and Principal Financial Officer
/s/ Anthony M. Santomero* Trustee
Joseph Beranek Anthony M. Santomero
/s/ Catherine James Paglia* Chair of the Board /s/ Minor M. Shaw* Trustee
Catherine James Paglia Minor M. Shaw
/s/ George S. Batejan* Trustee /s/ William F. Truscott* Trustee
George S. Batejan William F. Truscott
/s/ Kathleen A. Blatz* Trustee /s/ Sandra Yeager* Trustee
Kathleen A. Blatz Sandra Yeager
/s/ Pamela G. Carlton* Trustee    
Pamela G. Carlton    
    
* By:
Name:
/s/ Joseph D’Alessandro  
Joseph D’Alessandro**
Attorney-in-fact
 
** Executed by Joseph D’Alessandro on behalf of Michael G. Clarke pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated May 23, 2016 and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A (Exhibit (q)(3)), filed with the Commission on June 1, 2016, on behalf of Joseph Beranek pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated January 3, 2020, filed herewith as Exhibit (q)(4) to Post-Effective Amendment No.71 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A and on behalf of each of the Trustees pursuant to a Trustees Power of Attorney, dated January 1, 2018 and incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registration Statement No. 333-146374 of the Registrant on Form N-1A (Exhibit (q)(1)), filed with the Commission on February 21, 2018.
Exhibit Index
(a)(24) Amendment No. 24 to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust effective June 19, 2019
(d)(12)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of October 21, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
(d)(12)(iii) Amendment No. 3, as of February 5, 2020, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, as amended October 21, 2019 and November 19, 2015, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
(d)(13)(ii) Amendment No. 2, as of November 20, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated February 15, 2017, as amended May 31, 2018, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc.
(d)(20)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of November 1, 2019, to the Subadvisory Agreement, dated January 15, 2014, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and TCW Investment Management Company
(d)(22)(i) Amendment No. 1, as of May 13, 2019, to Subadvisory Agreement, dated June 19, 2013, between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC and Victory Capital Management Inc.
(e)(1)(i) Schedule I, effective July 1, 2019, and Schedule II, dated September 7, 2010, to the Distribution Agreement, amended and restated as of March 1, 2016, between Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(m)(1)(i) Schedule A, effective July 1, 2019, to the Plan of Distribution and Agreement of Distribution, effective May 1, 2009, amended and restated March 7, 2011, between the Registrant and Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc.
(n) Rule 18f – 3(d) Plan, amended and restated June 19, 2019
(p)(3) American Century Investment Management, Inc. Code of Ethics, updated August 21, 2019
(p)(7) CenterSquare Investment Management LLC Code of Ethics, effective December 5, 2019
(p)(8) Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Code of Ethics, effective January, 2020
(p)(9) J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective February 1, 2005, last revised December 13, 2019
(p)(12) Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. Code of Ethics, dated January 7, 2020
(p)(13) Massachusetts Financial Services Company Code of Ethics, effective December 16, 2019
(p)(14) Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective December 12, 2019
(p)(15) Nuveen Asset Management, LLC Code of Ethics, dated August 26, 2019
(p)(16) Scout Investments, Inc. Code of Ethics, effective August 2019
(p)(17) T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Its Affiliates Code of Ethics, as of December 1, 2019
(p)(20) Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics, effective July 1, 2019
(p)(22) Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Code of Ethics, as of August 16, 2019
(q)(4) Power of Attorney for Joseph Beranek, dated January 3, 2020

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II

AMENDMENT NO. 24 TO THE

AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST

WHEREAS, Section 5 of Article III of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration of Trust") of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II (the "Trust"), dated September 11, 2007, as amended from time to time, a copy of which is on file in the Office of the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, authorizes the Trustees of the Trust to amend the Declaration of Trust to establish, to change or abolish and rescind the designation of any Series or class of Shares without authorization by vote of the Shareholders of the Trust; and

NOW, THEREFORE, The undersigned, being at least a majority of the Trustees of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II, do hereby certify that we have authorized the renaming of Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Value Fund to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large-Cap Value Fund to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund, Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Smaller-Cap Value Fund to Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund, CTIVP – MFS® Blended Research® Core Equity Fund to CTIVP – Partners Core Equity Fund and CTIVP – Oppenheimer International Growth Fund to CTIVP – William Blair International Leaders Fund and have authorized the following amendment to said Declaration of Trust:

1.Section 6 of Article III is hereby amended by replacing the text preceding paragraph (a) with the following:

Without limiting the authority of the Trustees as set forth in Section 5, inter alia, to establish and designate any further Series or classes or to modify the rights and preferences of any Series or class, the following Series shall be, and are hereby, established and designated;

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Equities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

CTIVP – American Century Diversified Bond Fund

CTIVP – AQR International Core Equity Fund

CTIVP – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund

CTIVP – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

CTIVP – DFA International Value Fund

CTIVP – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund

CTIVP – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

CTIVP – MFS® Value Fund

CTIVP – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund

CTIVP – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund

CTIVP – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund

CTIVP – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund

CTIVP – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund

CTIVP – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund

CTIVP – William Blair International Leaders Fund

Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Columbia Wanger International Equities Fund

Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund

Shares of each Series established in this Section 6 shall have the following rights and preferences relative to Shares of each other Series, and Shares of each class of a Multi-Class Series shall have such rights and preferences relative to other classes of the same Series as are set forth in the Declaration of Trust, together with such other rights and preferences relative to such other classes as are set forth in the Trust's Rule 18f-3 Plan, registration statement as from time to time amended, and any applicable resolutions of the Trustees establishing and designating such class of Shares.

The rest of this Section 6 remains unchanged.

The foregoing amendment is effective as of June 19, 2019.

[The remainder of this page intentionally left blank.]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has signed this Amendment No. 24 to the Declaration of Trust on June 19, 2019.

/s/ George S. Batejan

/s/ Catherine James Paglia

George S. Batejan

Catherine James Paglia

/s/ Kathleen A. Blatz

/s/ Anthony M. Santomero

Kathleen A. Blatz

Anthony M. Santomero

/s/ Edward J. Boudreau, Jr.

/s/ Minor M. Shaw

Edward J. Boudreau, Jr.

Minor M. Shaw

/s/ Pamela G. Carlton

/s/ William F. Truscott

Pamela G. Carlton

William F. Truscott

/s/ Patricia M. Flynn

/s/ Sandra Yeager

Patricia M. Flynn

Sandra Yeager

/s/ Brian J. Gallagher

 

Brian J. Gallagher

 

Registered Agent:

Corporation Service Company

 

84 State Street

 

Boston, MA 02109

AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 2 (the "Amendment"), made and entered into as of October 21, 2019, is made a part of the Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company ("Investment Manager") and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Subadviser"), dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015 (the "Agreement").

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and Subadviser desire to amend the Agreement, including Schedule A.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Compensation of Subadviser. Section 4 of the Agreement shall be, and hereby is deleted and replaced with the following:

For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, Investment Manager will pay to Subadviser, effective from the date of this Agreement, a fee which shall be determined daily and paid monthly, on or before the last business day of the next succeeding calendar month, at the annual rates set forth in the attached Schedule A which Schedule can be modified from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties to reflect changes in annual rates, subject to appropriate approvals required by the 1940 Act, if any. If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any month, the fee for the period from the effective date to the end of the month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that such portion of the month bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs. During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than costs in connection with the purchase or sale of securities and other assets (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Fund.

2.Schedule A. Schedule A to the Agreement shall be, and hereby is, deleted and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.

3.The following shall be, and is hereby added as Section 21 to the Agreement:

No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Fund is intended to be a third party beneficiary of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without in any way implying that there are any other third-party beneficiaries to the Agreement or any other agreement with respect to the Trust or any of its series, no person other than the Investment Manager and the Subadviser is a party to this Agreement or shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under or in respect of this Agreement (with the exception of the Fund), and there are no other third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be read to, (i) create in any other person (including without limitation any shareholder of any Fund) any direct, indirect, derivative, or other rights against the Investment Manager or Subadviser, or (ii) create or give rise to any duty or obligation on the part of the Investment Manager or Subadviser (including without limitation any fiduciary duty) to any person other than the Fund, all of which rights, benefits, duties, and obligations are hereby expressly excluded.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

Columbia Management Investment

Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.

Advisers, LLC

 

 

 

By:

/s/ David Weiss

By:

/s/ Lauren B. Pitalis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

Signature

Name:

David Weiss

Name:

Lauren B. Pitalis

 

 

 

 

 

Printed

 

Printed

 

 

 

Vice President, Director of

Title:

Assistant Secretary

Title:

Client Intake

 

 

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

AMENDMENT NO. 3

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 3 (the "Amendment"), made and entered into as of February 5, 2020, is made a part of the Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company ("Investment Manager") and Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("Subadviser"), dated January 15, 2014, as amended November 19, 2015 and October 21, 2019 (the "Agreement").

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and Subadviser desire to amend the Agreement, including Schedule A thereto.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Schedule A. Schedule A to the Agreement shall be, and hereby is, deleted and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.

[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]

Document Number: 359328

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

Columbia Management Investment

Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.

Advisers, LLC

 

 

 

By:

/s/ David Weiss

By:

/s/ Lauren B. Pitalis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

Signature

Name:

David Weiss

Name:

Lauren B. Pitalis

 

 

 

 

 

Printed

 

Printed

 

 

 

Vice President, Director of

Title:

Assistant Secretary

Title:

Client Intake

 

 

 

 

Document Number: 359328

AMENDMENT NO. 3

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE A AS OF APRIL 1, 2020

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

Document Number: 359328

AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 2 (the "Amendment"), made and entered into as of November 20, 2019, is made a part of the Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company ("Investment Manager") and Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc., a California corporation (Subadviser"), dated February 15, 2017, as amended May 31, 2018 (the "Agreement").

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and Subadviser desire to amend the Agreement, including Schedule A thereto.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Schedule A. Schedule A to the Agreement shall be, and hereby is, deleted and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.

[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

Columbia Management Investment

Los Angeles Capital Management and

Advisers, LLC

 

Equity Research, Inc.

By:

/s/ David Weiss

By:

/s/ Thomas Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

Signature

Name:

David Weiss

Name:

Thomas Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

Printed

 

Printed

Title:

Assistant Secretary

Title:

CEO

 

 

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE A

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 1 (the "Amendment"), made and entered into as of November 1, 2019, is made a part of the Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company ("Investment Manager") and TCW Investment Management Company LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (formerly TCW Investment Management Company) ("Subadviser"), dated January 15, 2014 (the "Agreement").

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and Subadviser desire to amend the Agreement, including Schedule A.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Compensation of Subadviser. Section 4 of the Agreement shall be, and hereby is deleted and replaced with the following:

For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, Investment Manager will pay to Subadviser, effective from the date of this Agreement, a fee which shall be determined daily and paid monthly, on or before the last business day of the next succeeding calendar month, at the annual rates set forth in the attached Schedule A which Schedule can be modified from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties to reflect changes in annual rates, subject to appropriate approvals required by the 1940 Act, if any. If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any month, the fee for the period from the effective date to the end of the month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that such portion of the month bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs. During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than costs in connection with the purchase or sale of securities and other assets (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Fund.

2.Schedule A. Schedule A to the Agreement shall be, and hereby is, deleted and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.

3.The following shall be, and is hereby added as Section 23 to the Agreement:

Document Number: 354622

No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Fund is intended to be a third party beneficiary of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without in any way implying that there are any other third-party beneficiaries to the Agreement or any other agreement with respect to the Trust or any of its series, no person other than the Investment Manager and the Subadviser is a party to this Agreement or shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under or in respect of this Agreement (with the exception of the Fund), and there are no other third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be read to, (i) create in any other person (including without limitation any shareholder of any Fund) any direct, indirect, derivative, or other rights against the Investment Manager or Subadviser, or (ii) create or give rise to any duty or obligation on the part of the Investment Manager or Subadviser (including without limitation any fiduciary duty) to any person other than the Fund, all of which rights, benefits, duties, and obligations are hereby expressly excluded.

Document Number: 354622

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

Columbia Management Investment

TCW Investment Management

Advisers, LLC

 

Company LLC

 

By:

/s/ David Weiss

By:

/s/ Patrick Dennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

Signature

Name:

David Weiss

Name:

Patrick Dennis

 

 

 

 

 

Printed

 

Printed

 

 

 

Senior Vice President

Title:

Assistant Secretary

Title:

Associate General Counsel

 

 

 

 

Document Number: 354622

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE A AS OF November 1, 2019

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

Document Number: 354622

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

This Amendment No. 1 (the "Amendment"), made and entered into as of May 13, 2019, is made a part of the Subadvisory Agreement between Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company ("Investment Manager") and Victory Capital Management Inc., a New York corporation ("Subadviser"), dated June 19, 2013 (the "Agreement").

WHEREAS, Investment Manager and Subadviser desire to amend the Agreement, including Schedule A.

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Compensation of Subadviser. Section 4 of the Agreement shall be, and hereby is deleted and replaced with the following:

For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, Investment Manager will pay to Subadviser, effective from the date of this Agreement, a fee which shall be determined daily and paid monthly, on or before the last business day of the next succeeding calendar month, at the annual rates set forth in the attached Schedule A which Schedule can be modified from time to time upon mutual agreement of the parties to reflect changes in annual rates, subject to appropriate approvals required by the 1940 Act, if any. If this Agreement becomes effective or terminates before the end of any month, the fee for the period from the effective date to the end of the month or from the beginning of such month to the date of termination, as the case may be, shall be prorated according to the proportion that such portion of the month bears to the full month in which such effectiveness or termination occurs. During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement other than costs in connection with the purchase or sale of securities and other assets (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Fund.

2.Schedule A. Schedule A to the Agreement shall be, and hereby is, deleted and replaced with the Schedule A attached hereto.

3.The following shall be, and is hereby added as Section 21 to the Agreement:

No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Fund is intended to be a third party beneficiary of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, and without in any way implying that there are any other third-party beneficiaries to the Agreement or any other agreement with respect to the Trust or any of its series, no person other than the Investment Manager and the Subadviser is a party to this Agreement or shall be entitled to any right or benefit arising under or in respect of this Agreement (with the exception of the Fund), and there are no other third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be read to, (i) create in any other person (including without limitation any shareholder of any Fund) any direct, indirect, derivative, or other rights against the Investment Manager or Subadviser, or (ii) create or give rise to any duty or obligation on the part of the Investment Manager or Subadviser (including without limitation any fiduciary duty) to any person other than the Fund, all of which rights, benefits, duties, and obligations are hereby expressly excluded.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

Columbia Management Investment

Victory Capital Management Inc.

Advisers, LLC

 

 

By:

By:

/s/ Mike Policarpo

 

/s/ David Weiss

 

 

 

Signature

 

Signature

Name:

David Weiss

Name:

Mike Policarpo

 

 

 

 

 

Printed

 

Printed

Title:

Assistant Secretary

Title:

COO

 

 

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO THE SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

SCHEDULE A AS OF MAY 13, 2019

[SCHEDULE LISTING FUND AND FEE RATE OMITTED]

Distribution Agreement – Schedules – CFVST II

Schedule I

As of July 1, 2019

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Seligman Global Technology Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Equities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund

CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund

CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund

CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund

CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund

CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund

CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund

CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund

CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund

CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund

CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund

CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund

CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund

Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Columbia Wanger International Equities Fund

Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund

342509 v.7

Distribution Agreement – Schedules – CFVST II

IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have executed the foregoing Schedule I as of June 19, 2019.

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II on behalf of its respective Funds, if any

By: /s/ Christopher O. Petersen

Name: Christopher O. Petersen

Title: President

COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT

DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

By:

/s/ Daniel J. Beckman

Name:

Daniel J. Beckman

Title:

Vice President and Head of U.S. Retail Product

342509 v.7

Distribution Agreement – Schedules – CFVST II

SCHEDULE II

COMPENSATION

COMPENSATION TO DISTRIBUTOR. In connection with the distribution of Shares, Distributor will be entitled to receive payments pursuant to any Distribution Plan and related agreement from time to time in effect between any Fund and Distributor or any particular class of shares of a Fund ("12b-1 Plan").

Approved: Sept. 7, 2010

342509 v.7

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II of our reports dated as listed in Appendix A, relating to the financial statements and financial highlights, which appear in the Annual Reports on Form N-CSR of the funds indicated in Appendix A for the year ended December 31, 2019. We also consent to the references to us under the headings "Financial Highlights", "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "Organization and Management of Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries" in such Registration Statement.

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Minneapolis, Minnesota

April 27, 2020

Appendix A

Fund Name

Reports Dated 2/21/2020

CTIVP - Loomis Sayles Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Government Money Market Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Overseas Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - High Yield Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Large Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Dividend Opportunity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Large Cap Index Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Mid Cap Growth Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Large Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Income Opportunities Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Mid Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Limited Duration Credit Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Disciplined Core Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Balanced Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Small Cap Value Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Commodity Strategy Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Core Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Emerging Markets Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Global Strategic Income Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Intermediate Bond Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Select Large Cap Equity Fund

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Seligman Global Technology Fund

CTIVP - BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund

CTIVP - Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund

Variable Portfolio - Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio - Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio - Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio - Moderate Portfolio

Variable Portfolio - Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

Variable Portfolio - Moderately Conservative Portfolio

Variable Portfolio - Partners Core Equity Fund

Variable Portfolio - Partners Small Cap Value Fund

Reports Dated 2/24/2020

CTIVP - American Century Diversified Bond Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners International Core Equity Fund (CTIVP - AQR International Core Equity Fund) CTIVP - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners International Value Fund (CTIVP - DFA International Value Fund) CTIVP - Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

CTIVP - MFS Value Fund

CTIVP - Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund CTIVP - T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund CTIVP - TCW Core Plus Bond Fund

CTIVP - Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund CTIVP - Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund

Variable Portfolio – Partners International Growth Fund (CTIVP - William Blair International Leaders Fund) Variable Portfolio - Partners Core Bond Fund

Variable Portfolio - Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

12b-1 Schedule – CFVST II

Schedule A

Effective July 1, 2019

 

 

Classes

 

 

Class 2

Class 3

Class 4

Funds

 

 

 

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II

 

 

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Seligman Global Technology Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Equities Fund

Class 2

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio - U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund

Class 2

 

 

CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Established Value Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund

Class 2

--

--

CTIVP® – Willaim Blair International Leaders Fund

Class 2

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio

Class 2

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Columbia Wanger International Equities Fund

Class 2

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio

Class 2

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Class 2

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio

Class 2

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

Class 2

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio

Class 2

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund

Class 2

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund

Class 2

 

 

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

Class 2

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund

Class 2

Class 3

--

342520 v.8

 

12b-1 Schedule – CFVST II

Fee Schedule

The maximum fee for services under this Plan and Agreement shall be the lesser of the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement (including any unreimbursed expenses) or a rate equal on an annual basis to the percentage of the average daily net assets of the Fund attributable to the applicable class as set forth in the table below (the "Lesser of Methodology"). The Lesser of Methodology shall be determined and applied on a quarterly basis by computing the amount of actual fees and expenses accrued during the prior quarter (for each share class of each Fund) that were eligible to be paid under Section 3 of the Plan (i.e., the "expenses eligible for reimbursement") and comparing that amount to the flat rate for the applicable Class. If the flat rate exceeds the expenses eligible for reimbursement, then, based on the Lesser of Methodology, the maximum 12b-1 fee amount accrued for such Class is applied on a going forward basis to reflect the actual amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement for the prior quarter. This determination and calculation is re-applied each subsequent quarter. The frequency of application of the methodology (currently, quarterly) may be revised by the Distributor at any time, after consultation with the Board.

Class

Fee

Class 2

0.25%

Class 3

0.125%

Class 4

0.25%

Payments under the Plan and Agreement shall be made within five (5) business days after the last day of each month. At the end of each calendar year, Columbia Management Investment Distributors shall furnish a declaration setting out the actual expenses it has paid and accrued. Any money that has been paid in excess of the amount of these expenses shall be returned to the Funds.

342520 v.8

 

12b-1 Schedule – CFVST II

IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties hereto have executed the foregoing Schedule A as of June 19, 2019.

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II

By:  /s/ Christopher O.Petersen

Name: Christopher O. Petersen

Title: President

COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

By:

__/s/ Daniel J. Beckman 

   

Title:

Vice President and Head of U.S. Retail Product

342520 v.8

18f-3 Plan – CFVST II

AMENDED AND RESTATED

RULE 18f-3 MULTI-CLASS PLAN

I.Introduction.

Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), this Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan ("Plan") sets forth the methods for allocating fees and expenses among the classes of shares ("Shares") in the investment portfolios (the "Funds") of Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II (the "Trust"). Among other things, this Plan identifies expenses that may be allocated to a particular class of Shares to the extent that they are actually incurred in a different amount by the class or relate to a different kind or degree of services provided to the class. In addition, this Plan sets forth the maximum distribution fees, maximum shareholder servicing fees, maximum shareholder administration fees, conversion features, exchange privileges, other shareholder services and transfer agency fees, if any, applicable or allocated to each class of Shares of the Trust.

The Trust is an open-end series investment company registered under the 1940 Act, the Shares of which are registered on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933. The Trust offers multiple classes of Shares in its Funds pursuant to the provisions of Rule 18f-3 and this Plan.

Each Fund and the classes of Shares representing interests in the Fund it issues are set forth in Schedule A hereto. Schedule A shall be updated by officers of the Trust from time to time as necessary to reflect the current classes and Funds offered by the Trust.

II.Allocation of Expenses.

1.Except as otherwise set forth herein or as may from time to time be specifically approved by board of trustees of the Registrant (the Trustees), all expenses of each Fund shall be allocated proportionately among the classes of such Fund pro rata based on the relative net assets of each class. Pursuant to Rule 18f-3, the Trust shall allocate to each class of Shares in a Fund any fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with the distribution and/or the provision of shareholder services to holders of such class of Shares under any distribution plan, shareholder servicing plan and/or plan administration agreement (a "Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Plan").

2.In addition, pursuant to Rule 18f-3, the Trust may allocate to a particular class of Shares the following fees and expenses, if any, but only to the extent they relate to (as defined below) the particular class of Shares:

(i)transfer agency fees and expenses identified by the Registrant's transfer agent or officers as being fees and expenses that relate to such class of Shares;

(ii)printing and postage expenses of preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, prospectuses, reports and proxies to current shareholders of such class of Shares or to regulatory agencies that relate to such class of Shares;

302595 v.16

(iii)blue sky registration or qualification fees that relate to such class of Shares;

(iv)Securities and Exchange Commission registration fees that relate to such class of Shares;

(v)expenses of administrative personnel and services (including, but not limited to, those of a portfolio accountant, custodian or dividend paying agent charged with calculating net asset values and determining or paying distributions) as required to support the shareholders of such class of Shares;

(vi)litigation or other legal expenses that relate to such class of Shares;

(vii)fees of the Trustees of the Trust incurred as a result of issues that relate to such class of Shares;

(viii)independent accountants' fees that relate to such class of Shares; and

(ix)any other fees and expenses that relate to such class of Shares.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may not allocate advisory or custodial fees or other expenses related to the management of a Fund's assets to a particular class, except that the Trust may cause a class to pay a different advisory fee to the extent that any difference in amount paid is the result of the application of the same performance fee provisions, if any, in the advisory contract of the Fund to the different investment performance of each class.

3.For all purposes under this Plan, fees and expenses "that relate to" a class of

Shares are those fees and expenses that are actually incurred in a different amount by the class or that relate to a different kind or degree of services provided to the class. The officers of the Trust shall have the authority to determine, to the extent permitted by applicable law or regulation and/or U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission guidance, whether any or all of the fees and expenses described in paragraph 2 above should be allocated to a particular class of Shares. The Treasurer, any Deputy or Assistant Treasurer, or another appropriate officer of the Trust shall periodically or as frequently as requested by the Board report to independent Trustees regarding any such allocations.

4.For all purposes under this Plan, "Daily Dividend Fund" means any Fund that has a policy of declaring distributions of net investment income daily, including any money market fund that determines net asset value using the amortized cost method permitted by Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act.

5.Income and any expenses of Daily Dividend Funds that are not allocated to a particular class of any such Fund pursuant to this Plan shall be allocated to each class of the Fund on the basis of the net assets of that class in relation to the net assets of the Fund, excluding the value of subscriptions receivable (the "Settled Shares Method").

Realized and unrealized capital gains and losses of Daily Dividend Funds that are not allocated to a particular class of any such Fund pursuant to this Plan shall be allocated to each

302595 v.17

class of the Fund on the basis of the net assets of that class in relation to the net assets of the Fund (the "Relative Net Assets Method").

6.Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and any expenses of Funds that are not Daily Dividend Funds that are not allocated to a particular class of any such Fund pursuant to this Plan shall be allocated to each class of the Fund on the Relative Net Assets Method.

7.Pursuant to the shareholder service agreement, each Share class is subject to service fee up to fee set forth in the agreement. There is no transfer agency service fees for Columbia Variable Portfolio – Core Equity Fund.

8.Pursuant to the shareholder service agreement, each Share class is subject to service fee up to fee set forth in the agreement.

9.In certain cases, a Fund service provider may waive or reimburse all or a portion of the expenses of a specific class of Shares of the Fund. The applicable service provider shall report to the Board of Trustees regarding any such waivers or reimbursements, including why they are consistent with the fair and equitable treatment of shareholders of all classes.

III.Class Arrangements.

The following summarizes the maximum initial sales charges, contingent deferred sales

charges, maximum distribution fees, maximum shareholder servicing fees, maximum plan administration and/or shareholder administration fees, if any, conversion features, exchange privileges and other shareholder service fees, if any, applicable or allocated to each class of Shares of the Trust. Additional details regarding such fees and services are set forth in the relevant Fund's (or Funds') current prospectus(es) and statement of additional information.

1.Class 1 Shares

A.Maximum Initial Sales Charge: None

B.Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None

C.Maximum Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: None

D.Conversion Features/Exchange Privileges: Class 1 Shares of a Fund shall have such conversion features and exchange privileges, if any, as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

E.Other Shareholder Services: Class 1 Shares of a Fund shall have such arrangements for shareholder services as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

302595 v.17

2.Class 2 Shares

A.Initial Sales Charge: None

B.Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None

C.Maximum Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: Class 2 Shares may pay distribution and service fees pursuant to a Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Plan as described in the prospectuses as from time to time in effect. Such distribution fees may be in amounts up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets attributable to such class.

D.Conversion Features/Exchange Privileges: Class 2 Shares of a Fund shall have such conversion features and exchange privileges, if any, as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

E.Other Shareholder Services: Class 2 Shares of a Fund shall have such arrangements for shareholder services as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

3.Class 3 Shares

A.Initial Sales Charge: None

B.Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None

C.Maximum Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: Pursuant to a Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Plan, Class 3 Shares of each Fund may pay distribution fees of up to 0.125% of the average daily net assets of such Shares.

D.Conversion Features/Exchange Privileges: Class 3 Shares of a Fund shall have such conversion features and exchange privileges, if any, as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

E.Other Shareholder Services: Class 3 Shares of a Fund shall have such arrangements for shareholder services as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

4.Class 4 Shares

A.Initial Sales Charge: None

302595 v.17

B.Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None

C.Maximum Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees: Pursuant to a Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Plan, Class 4 Shares of each Fund may pay distribution fees of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of such Shares.

D.Conversion Features/Exchange Privileges: Class 4 Shares of a Fund shall have such conversion features and exchange privileges, if any, as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

E.Other Shareholder Services: Class 4 Shares of a Fund shall have such arrangements for shareholder services as are determined by or ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and described in the then-current prospectus for such Shares of such Fund.

IV. Board Review.

The Board of Trustees of the Trust shall review this Plan, including the application of the Relative Net Assets Method and the Settled Shares Method to the Funds, as frequently as it deems necessary. Prior to any material amendment(s) to this Plan, the Board of Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust, shall find that the Plan, as proposed to be amended (including any proposed amendments to the method of allocating class and/or Fund expenses), is in the best interests of each class of Shares of the Fund individually and the Fund as a whole. In considering whether to approve any proposed amendment(s) to the Plan, the Board of Trustees of the Trust shall request and evaluate such information as they consider reasonably necessary to evaluate the proposed amendment(s) to the Plan.

Adopted:

September 7, 2010

Amended and Restated:

April 17, 2013

Amended and Restated

April 11, 2014

Amended and Restated

May 1, 2015

Amended and Restated

May 1, 2016

Amended and Restated

May 1, 2017

Amended and Restated

July 1, 2017

Amended and Restated

November 15, 2017

Amended and Restated

May 1, 2018

Amended and Restated

September 14, 2018

Amended and Restated

June 19, 2019

302595 v.17

Schedule A

Effective July 1, 2019

Funds and Authorized Classes of Shares

The Funds are authorized to issue those classes of Shares representing interests in the Funds as indicated in the following table:

FUNDS WITH CLASSES 1, 2, 3 AND 4

 

 

 

Classes

 

Funds

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

Class 4

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Balanced Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Government Money Market Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Commodity Strategy Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Disciplined Core Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Dividend Opportunity Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Emerging Markets Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Global Strategic Income Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – High Yield Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Income Opportunities Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Intermediate Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Large Cap Index Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Limited Duration Credit Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Mid Cap Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Overseas Core Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Equity Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Large Cap Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Mid Cap Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – Select Small Cap Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio - Seligman Global Technology Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Equities Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Columbia Variable Portfolio – U.S. Government Mortgage Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – American Century Diversified Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – AQR International Core Equity Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

 

A-1

 

 

 

 

302595 v.17

 

 

 

Classes

 

Funds

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

Class 4

CTIVP® – BlackRock Global Inflation-Protected Securities Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

 

CTIVP® – DFA International Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – Loomis Sayles Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – Los Angeles Capital Large Cap Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – MFS® Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – Morgan Stanley Advantage Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – TCW Core Plus Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – T. Rowe Price Large Cap Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – Victory Sycamore Establish Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

CTIVP® – Wells Fargo Short Duration Government Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – Westfield Mid Cap Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

CTIVP® – William Blair International Leaders Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

 

Variable Portfolio – Aggressive Portfolio

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Columbia Wanger International Equities Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Conservative Portfolio

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Managed Volatility Moderate Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Moderate Portfolio

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Aggressive Portfolio

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Moderately Conservative Portfolio

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

Class 4

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Bond Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

 

Variable Portfolio – Partners Core Equity Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Growth Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

--

--

Variable Portfolio – Partners Small Cap Value Fund

Class 1

Class 2

 

Class 3

--

302595 v.17

Code of

Snapshot of the Policy

The Code of Ethics is a comprehensive policy which provides the standards for personal investing by American Century Investments (ACI) employees. Each employee has a Code of Ethics classification based on their job responsibilities and the ability to access nonpublic information about ACI client portfolios' security holdings and trading activities. The restrictions on personal investing contained in the Code vary by classification. The Code of Ethics also applies to accounts and securities that ACI employees beneficially own (i.e. owned by immediate family sharing your household, your domestic partner, or those you have power of attorney over, etc.).

It is important that you understand the Code and the restrictions on investing in personal securities and reportable mutual funds. This page contains a summary of the Code requirements. Please review the full text of the Code to fully understand your responsibilities. Contact Compliance if you have questions about the policy and how it applies to your situation. The Code of Ethics system  (http://coe/)  is the primary tool for performing your duties under the Code. All reporting and preclearance is performed in the Code of Ethics system.

Requirements for All Employees

Non-Access Persons, Access Persons, Investment Persons, and Portfolio Persons must

Place our client's interest first

Comply with federal securities laws

Report violations to Compliance

Acknowledge that you have read and understand the Code of Ethics

Disclose reportable brokerage accounts and reportable mutual fund accounts

Transfer reportable brokerage accounts to a broker that provides electronic trade confirmations (See Schedule C).

Comply with short-term trading restrictions for ACI client portfolios.

Obtain written approval to enter into an arrangement or agreement that could create a conflict of interest with ACI activities (i.e. serving on the board of directors of a publicly traded company).

Requirements for Access Persons, Investment and Portfolio Persons

Access Persons, Investment Persons, Portfolio Persons must

Disclose holdings within 10 days of designation and annually, thereafter

Disclose personal security transactions on a quarterly basis

Disclose conflicts of interest annually

Obtain approval (preclearance) to trade in reportable securities

Trading Prohibitions

Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot participate in an Initial Public Offering.

Investment Persons and Portfolio Persons cannot profit on short-term reportable security trades within 60 calendar days.

Portfolio Persons cannot trade within seven days before and after transactions of a fund you manage.

Portfolio Persons cannot sell a security which is held by your assigned fund or buy a security held as a short position in your assigned funds.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

1

Code of

Table of Contents

 

Snapshot of the Policy ........................................................................................................................................

1

Requirements for All Employees ......................................................................................................................

1

Requirements for Access Persons, Investment and Portfolio Persons .........................................................

1

Trading Prohibitions...........................................................................................................................................

1

Purpose of Code ..................................................................................................................................................

3

Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics? ................................................................................................................

3

Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You? ...........................................................................................................

4

Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities ..................................................................................................

5

Reporting Requirements ....................................................................................................................................

8

Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions? ...........................................................................................

11

Confidential Information .................................................................................................................................

13

Conflicts of Interest ...........................................................................................................................................

13

What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics?.....................................................................

13

ACI's Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees ....................................................................................

14

APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS .........................................................................................................................

15

APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS "BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP"?..........................................................................

18

APPENDIX 3: CODE-EXEMPT SECURITIES ..............................................................................................

21

APPENDIX 4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS............................................................

22

SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES .............................................................................................

25

SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS .........................................................................................................

26

SCHEDULE C: APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS .............................................................................

28

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

2

Code of

Purpose of Code

The Code of Ethics guides the personal investment activities of American Century Investments (ACI) employees (including full and part-time employees, contract and temporary employees, officers and directors), and members of their immediate family.1 The Code of Ethics aids in the elimination and detection of personal securities transactions by employees that might be viewed as fraudulent or might conflict with the interests of our client portfolios. Such transactions may include:

the misuse of client trading information for personal benefit (including so-called "front-running"),

the misappropriation of investment opportunities that may be appropriate for client portfolios,

and excessive personal trading that may affect our ability to provide services to our clients. Violations of this Code must be promptly reported to the Chief Compliance Officer.

Why Do We Have a Code of Ethics?

A.Investors have placed their trust in ACI

As an investment adviser, ACI is entrusted with the assets of our clients for investment purposes. Our employees' personal trading activities and the administration of the Code are governed by these general fiduciary principles:

The interests of our clients must be placed before our own.

Any personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with this Code and in a manner as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Complying with these principles is how we earn and keep our clients' trust. To protect this trust, we will hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards.

B.ACI wants to give you flexible investing options

Management believes that ACI's own mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles provide a broad range of investment alternatives in virtually every segment of the securities market. We encourage ACI employees to use these vehicles for their personal investments. We do not encourage active trading by our employees. We recognize, however, that individual needs differ and that there are other attractive investment opportunities. As a result, this Code is intended to give you and your family flexibility to invest, without jeopardizing relationships with our clients.

Our employees are able to undertake personal transactions in stocks and other individual securities subject to the terms of this Code. All employees are required to report their personal security transactions in their own and in beneficially owned securities under this Code. Additionally, Portfolio, Investment and Access Persons are required to receive preclearance of transactions and further limitations are placed on the transactions of Portfolio and Investment Persons.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

3

Code of

1The directors or trustees of Fund Clients who are not "interested persons" (the "Independent Directors") are covered under a separate Code applicable only to them.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

4

Code of

C.Federal law requires that we have a Code of Ethics

The Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 require that we have safeguards in place to prevent personal investment activities that might take inappropriate advantage of our fiduciary position. These safeguards are embodied in this Code of Ethics.2

Does the Code of Ethics Apply to You?

Yes! All ACI employees and contract personnel must observe the principles contained in this Code of Ethics. This Code applies to your personal investments, as well as those for which you are a beneficial owner. However, there are different requirements for different categories of employees. The category in which you have been placed generally depends on your job function, although circumstances may prompt us to place you in a different category. The range of categories is as follows:

Fewest Restrictions Most Restrictions

Non-Access

Access

Investment

Portfolio

The standard profile for each of the categories is described below:

A.Portfolio Persons

Portfolio Persons include portfolio managers and equity investment analysts and any other Investment Persons (as defined below) with authority to enter purchase/sale orders on behalf of client portfolios.

B.Investment Persons

Investment Persons include:

Any supervised persons that have access to nonpublic information regarding any client portfolio's securities trading, securities recommendations, or portfolio holdings or are involved in making securities recommendations that are nonpublic; and

Any officers and directors of an investment adviser.

C.Access Persons

Access Persons are persons who, in connection with their regular function and duties, consistently obtain information regarding current purchase and sale recommendations and daily transaction and holdings information concerning client portfolios. Examples of persons that may be considered Access Persons include:

Persons who are directly involved in the execution, clearance, and settlement of purchases and sales of securities (e.g. certain investment operations personnel);

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

5

Code of

2Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 serve as a basis for much of what is contained in this Code of Ethics.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

6

Code of

Persons whose function requires them to evaluate trading activity on a real-time basis (e.g. attorneys, accountants, portfolio compliance personnel);

Persons who assist in the design, implementation, and maintenance of investment management technology systems (e.g. certain I/T personnel, including contractors);

Support staff and supervisors of the above if they are required to obtain such information as a part of their regular function and duties; and

An officer or "interested" director of our Fund Clients.

Single, infrequent, or inadvertent instances of access to current recommendations or real-time trading information or the opportunity to obtain such information through casual observance or bundled data security access may not be sufficient to qualify you as an Access Person.

D.Non-Access Persons

If you are an ACI officer, director, or employee and you do not fit into any of the above categories, you are a Non-Access Person. Contractors and temporary employees may be considered Non-Access Persons depending on their role. While your trading is not subject to preclearance and other restrictions applicable to Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons, you are still subject to the remaining provisions of the Code.

Restrictions on Personal Investing Activities

A.Principles of Personal Investing

All ACI employees, officers, and directors, and members of their immediate family, must comply with the federal securities laws and other governmental rules and regulations, and maintain ACI's high ethical standards when making personal securities transactions. You must not misuse nonpublic information about client security holdings or contemplated, pending, or completed portfolio transactions for your personal benefit or the benefit of others. Likewise, you may not cause a client portfolio to take action, or fail to take action, for your personal benefit.

In addition, investment opportunities appropriate for client portfolios should not be retained for the personal benefit of yourself or others. Investment opportunities arising as a result of ACI investment management activities must first be considered for inclusion in our client portfolios.

B.Trading on Inside Information

Federal law prohibits you from trading based on material nonpublic information received from any source or communicating this information to others. This could include confidential information received by employees regarding securities that are, or maybe considered as potential portfolio investments. You are expected to abide by the highest ethical and legal standards in conducting your personal investment activities. For more information regarding what to do when you believe you are in possession of material nonpublic information, please consult ACI's Insider Trading Policy.

C.Trading in ACI Mutual Funds

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Excessive, short-term trading of ACI client portfolios and other abusive trading practices (such as time zone arbitrage) may disrupt portfolio management strategies and harm fund performance. These practices can

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cause funds to maintain higher-than-normal cash balances and incur increased trading costs. Short-term and other abusive trading strategies can also cause unjust dilution of shareholder value if such trading is based on information not accurately reflected in the price of the fund.

You may not engage in short-term trading or other abusive trading strategies with respect to any ACI client portfolio. For purposes of this Code, ACI client portfolios include any mutual fund, variable annuity, institutional, or other account advised or subadvised by ACI.3

Seven-Day Holding Period. You will be deemed to have engaged in short-term trading if you have purchased shares or otherwise invested in a variable-priced (non-money market) ACI client portfolio and redeem shares or otherwise withdraw assets from that portfolio within seven days. In other words, if you make an investment in an ACI client portfolio, you may not redeem shares from that fund before the completion of the seventh day following the purchase date.

Limited Trading Within 30 Days. We realize that abusive trading is not limited to a seven-day window. As a result, we may deem the sale of all or a substantial portion of an employee's purchase in an ACI client portfolio to be abusive if the sale is made within 30 days, and it happens more than once every rolling twelve months.

These trading restrictions are applicable to any account for which you have the authority to direct trades or of which you are a beneficial owner, including brokerage accounts, direct shareholder accounts, retirement plans, subadvised accounts, or accounts held through an intermediary

Transactions NOT Subject to Limitations. Automatic investments such as AMIs, dividend reinvestments, employer plan contributions, and payroll deductions are not considered transactions for purposes of the holding requirements. Redemptions in variable-priced funds that allow check writing privileges will not be considered redemptions for purposes of the holding requirements.

Information to be Provided. You may be required to provide certain information regarding mutual fund accounts beneficially owned by you and transactions in reportable mutual funds. See the Reporting Requirements for your applicable Code of Ethics classification.

D.Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions [Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons]

Preclearance of personal securities transactions allows ACI to prevent certain trades that may conflict with client trading activities. The nature of securities markets makes it impossible to predict all conflicts. As a consequence, even trades that are precleared can result in potential conflicts between your trades and those affected for client portfolios. You are responsible for avoiding such conflicts with any client portfolios for which you make investment recommendations. You have an obligation to ACI and its clients to avoid even a perception of a conflict of interest with respect to personal trading activities.

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3See Schedule A for a list of Fund Clients. See Schedule B for a list of subadvised funds.

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All Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must comply with the following preclearance procedures prior to entering into (i) the purchase or sale of a security for your own account or (ii) the purchase or sale of a security for an account for which you are a beneficial owner.4

1.Is the security a "Code-Exempt Security"?

Check Appendix 3 to see if the security is listed as a code-exempt security. If it is, then you may execute the transaction. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.

2.Preclear the transaction with Compliance by5 accessing the Code of Ethics system and entering your request at the Preclearance Request Entry screen. If you are outside of ACI's office, you may e-mail your request to  CE-Code_of_Ethics@americancentury.com.   You will be required to provide the following:

Broker and account number used for the transaction;

Issuer name;

Security identifier (Ticker symbol, CUSIP number, etc.);

Currency;

Type of security (stock, bond, note, etc.);

Number of shares; and

Nature of transaction (purchase or sale).

3.The request will be reviewed through our preclearance process. You will receive an e-mail informing you of your approval or denial within 48 hours of entering your request.

4.If you receive preclearance for the transaction,6 you may execute the approved transaction the day your preclearance is granted and the following two (2) business days (the "Preclearance Period"). For example, if preclearance is granted at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, you have until the close of the market on Friday to execute the trade. If you do not execute the approved transaction within the Preclearance Period, you must repeat the preclearance procedure prior to executing the transaction.

ACI reserves the right to restrict the purchase or sale by Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons of any security at any time. Such restrictions are imposed through the use of a Restricted List that will cause the Code of Ethics system to deny the approval of preclearance to transact in the security. Securities may be restricted for a variety of reasons including without limitation, the possession of material nonpublic information by ACI or its employees.

4See Appendix 2 for an explanation of beneficial ownership.

5If you are the Chief Investment Officer of an investment adviser, your preclearance request must be approved by the Chief

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Compliance Officer or his or her designee.

6See Appendix 4 for a description of the preclearance process.

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E.Additional Trading Restrictions [Portfolio and Investment Persons]

The following additional trading restrictions apply if you are a Portfolio or Investment Person:

1.Initial Public Offerings You may not acquire securities issued in an initial public offering.

2.Private Placements Before you acquire any securities in a private placement, you must obtain approval. from the Chief Investment Officer. Request preclearance by entering your request in the Private Placement Preclearance Request Entry screen in the Code of Ethics system or by emailing your request to CE-Code of Ethics (or  CE-Code_of_Ethics@americancentury.com    if emailing from outside of ACI's email systems). While your preclearance request is pending or if you own or beneficially own the privately-placed security, you may not participate in any consideration of an investment in securities of the private placement issuer for any client portfolios

3.60-Day Rule (Short-Term Trading Profits) You may not profit from any purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same (or equivalent) securities other than code-exempt securities within sixty (60) calendar days.

F.Seven-Day Blackout Period [Portfolio Persons]

If you are a Portfolio Person, you may not purchase or sell a security other than a code exempt security during the seven calendar days before and after the day it has been traded in a client portfolio that you manage (i.e., if a client portfolio transacts in a security on Monday, the Portfolio Persons managing the client portfolio must not personally trade in the security from the Monday before until the Monday after the client portfolio transaction.

G.Securities held in your funds [Portfolio Persons]

Personally investing in the same securities held by the client portfolios you manage may result in a conflict of interest. To mitigate this risk, you may not sell a security in which your client portfolio has a long position or purchase a security in which your client portfolio has a short position.

Reporting Requirements

You are required to file complete, accurate, and timely reports of all required information under this Code. All reported information is subject to review for indications of abusive trading, misappropriation of information, or failure to adhere to the requirements of this Code.

A. Reporting Requirements Applicable to All Employees

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1. Code Acknowledgement

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Upon employment, any amendment of the Code, and not less than annually thereafter, you will be required to acknowledge that you have received, read, and will comply with this Code. Compliance will notify you when you must provide this information.

2.Brokerage Accounts and Duplicate Confirmations

You are required to report ALL reportable brokerage accounts that you own or beneficially own in the Code of Ethics system using the Account Maintenance page or the Account Reporting page (initial and year-end reporting) as soon as the account has been established.

To aid with required recordkeeping requirements and streamline operations, employees must hold all reportable brokerage accounts at a firm that provides electronic trade confirmations to ACI. "Reportable brokerage accounts" include both brokerage accounts maintained by you and brokerage accounts maintained by a person whose trades you must report because you are a beneficial owner. See Schedule C for a list of firms that provide electronic trade confirmations to ACI. New reportable brokerage accounts must be opened with a firm that provides electronic trade confirmations to ACI.

New employees are required to move existing reportable brokerage accounts that they own or beneficially own to an electronic broker within 90 days of the start of their employment.

Limited exemptions may be granted to hold a reportable brokerage account at firms that do not provide electronic trade confirmations. You MUST contact Compliance at CE-- Code_of_Ethics@americancentury.com to obtain an account exemption.

Exemptions may be requested for Managed Accounts and Blind Trusts. Please refer to page 12 of this Code, section F. Managed Account/Blind Trust Exemption.

3.Reporting of Mutual Fund Accounts

a.Employee-owned ACI Direct Accounts/ ACI Retirement Plans

You are not required to report ACI Direct and ACI Retirement Plan accounts held under your own Social Security number. Trading in these accounts will be monitored based on information contained on our transfer agency and retirement plan systems.

b.Beneficially Owned Direct Accounts

You must report the following information for ACI Direct accounts in which you have a beneficial ownership interest held under a taxpayer identification or Social Security number other than your own (so-called "beneficially owned direct accounts"):

Account number and

Name(s) of record owner(s) of the account.

Trading in these accounts will be monitored based on information contained on our transfer agency

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system.

c. Certain third-party accounts invested in funds managed by ACI.

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You are required to report other accounts invested in funds managed by ACI such as those invested in (i) any subadvised fund (see Schedule B of this Code for a list of subadvised funds); and (ii) non-ACI retirement plan, unit investment trust, variable annuity, or similar accounts in which you own or beneficially own reportable mutual funds. The following information must be reported for these accounts:

Name of the financial institution where held;

Account number; and

Name(s) of the record owner(s) of the account.

In addition, you must provide either account statements or confirmations of all trading activity in reportable third-party accounts to Compliance within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter.

B.Additional Reporting Requirements [Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons]

1.Holdings Report

Within ten calendar days of becoming a Portfolio, Investment, or Access Person, and annually, thereafter, you must submit a Holdings Report. You will be notified by e-mail of the dates and requirements for filing the report(s). The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than 45 calendar days before the report is filed and include the following:

A list of all securities, other than certain code-exempt securities 7, that you own or in which you have a beneficial ownership interest. This listing must include the financial institution, account number, security identifier and description, number of shares, currency, and principal amount of each covered security.

A summary of your relationships that may conflict with the interests of ACI, such as outside employment, relationships with competitors, suppliers, vendors, independent contractors or consultants of ACI, or relationships with directors or trustees in outside organizations other than community charitable activities, education activities, or dissimilar family business.

Portfolio and Investment Persons must also provide a list of all reportable mutual fund holdings owned or in which they have a beneficial ownership interest. This list must include investments held directly through ACI, investments in any subadvised fund, holdings in a reportable brokerage account, and holdings in non-ACI retirement plans, unit investment trusts, variable annuity, or similar accounts.

2.Quarterly Transactions Report

Within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter, all Portfolio, Investment, and Access Persons must submit a Quarterly Transactions Report. Compliance will notify you of the dates and requirements for filing the report. A report of the transactions for which we have received your trade confirmations during the quarter will be provided for your review. It is your responsibility to review the completeness and accuracy of this report, provide any necessary changes, and certify its contents when submitted.

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7See Appendix 3 for a listing of code-exempt securities that must be reported.

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a.The Quarterly Transactions Report must contain the following information about each personal securities transaction undertaken during the quarter other than those in certain code exempt securities:

The financial institution's name and account number in which the transaction was executed;

The date of the transaction, the security identifier and description and number of shares or the principal amount of each security involved;

The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition; and

The transaction price, currency and amount.

In addition, information regarding your reportable brokerage and other accounts should be verified at this time.

b.Portfolio and Investment Persons are also required to report transactions in reportable mutual funds. The Quarterly Transactions Report for such persons must contain the following information about each transaction during the quarter:

The date of the transaction, the fund identifier and description and number of shares or units of each trade involved;

The nature of the transaction, that is, purchase, sale, or any other type of acquisition or disposition;

The transaction price, and amount; and

The financial institution's name and account number in which the trade was executed.

Transactions of reportable mutual funds that do not need to be reported by Portfolio and Investment Persons on the Quarterly Transaction Report include:

Reinvested dividends;

Transactions in ACI retirement plan accounts;

Transactions in mutual fund accounts held directly through ACI under your Social Security number;

Transactions in beneficially-owned Direct accounts if the account has been previously reported under this Code; and

Transactions in reportable third-party accounts for which the account statements or confirmations are provided to Compliance within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which the transactions took place.

Can there be any exceptions to the restrictions?

Yes. The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee may grant limited exemptions to specific provisions of the Code on a case-by-case basis.

A. How to Request an Exemption

Request an exemption by e-mailing a written request to -CE-Code of Ethics (or CE - 

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 Code_of_Ethics@americancentury.com  if emailing from outside ACI's email system) detailing your situation.

B. Factors Considered

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In considering your request, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee may grant your exemption request if he or she is satisfied that:

Your request addresses an undue personal hardship imposed on you by the Code of Ethics;

Your situation is not in conflict with the Code; and

Your exemption, if granted, would be consistent with the achievement of the objectives of the Code of Ethics.

C.Exemption Reporting

All exemptions must be reported to the Boards of Directors/Trustees of our Fund Clients at the next regular meeting following the initial grant of the exemption. Subsequent grants of an exemption of a type previously reported to the Boards may be affected without reporting. The Boards of Directors/Trustees may choose to delegate the task of receiving and reviewing reports to a committee comprised of Independent Directors/Trustees.

D.Thirty-Day Denial Exemption on Sales

An exemption may be requested when a request to sell a security has been denied once a week over a 30-day timeframe. The covered person must be able to verify that they have periodically entered a preclearance request to sell a security in the Code of Ethics system at least four times over a 30-day period. A written request must be e-mailed to "CE-Code of Ethics" to request the exemption. The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will review the request and determine if the exemption is warranted. If approval is granted, compliance will designate a short trading window during which the sale can take place.

E.Non-volitional Transaction Exemption

Certain non-volitional purchase and sale transactions are exempt from the preclearance requirements of the Code. These transactions include stock splits, stock dividends, exchanges and conversions, mandatory tenders, pro rata distributions to all holders of a class of securities, receipt of securities as gifts, the giving of securities, inheritances, margin/ maintenance calls (where the securities to be sold are not directed by the covered person), dividend reinvestment plans, and employer sponsored payroll deduction plans. These purchase and sale transactions, however, shall be reported in the Quarterly Transaction Report and Annual Holdings Report.

F.Blind Trust/Managed Account Exemption

An exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested for securities that are held in a blind or quasi-blind trust arrangement or a managed (discretionary) account. For the exemption to be available, you or a member of your immediate family must not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust or managed account. A written request must be emailed to "CE-Code of Ethics" with a copy of the management agreement to request the exemption. The request will only be granted once the covered person and/or the investment adviser for the trust or managed account certify that the covered person or members of their immediate family will not advise or direct transactions. ACI may

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require that statements or trade confirmations be received for the trust or managed account. The employee and/or adviser may be requested by Compliance to re-certify the trust arrangement.

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Confidential Information

All information about clients' securities transactions and portfolio holdings is confidential. You must not disclose, except as required by the duties of your employment, actual or contemplated securities transactions, portfolio holdings, portfolio characteristics or other nonpublic information about Clients, or the contents of any written or oral communication, study, report or opinion concerning any security. Employees should consult the Portfolio Holdings and Characteristics Disclosure and the Confidential Information Asset Security policies before disseminating information to individuals that otherwise do not have access to the information. This does not apply to information which has already been publicly disclosed.

Conflicts of Interest

You must receive prior written approval from ACI's General Counsel or his or her designee, as appropriate, to do any of the following:

Negotiate or enter into any agreement on a client's behalf with any business concern doing or seeking to do business with the client if you, or a person related to you, has a substantial interest in the business concern;

Enter into an agreement, negotiate or otherwise do business on the client's behalf with a personal friend or a person related to you; or

Serve on the board of directors of, or act as consultant to, any publicly traded corporation. Please note that

ACI's Business Code of Conduct also contains limitations on outside employment and directorships.

What happens if you violate the rules in the Code of Ethics?

If you violate the requirements of the Code of Ethics, you may be subject to serious penalties. Violations of the Code and proposed sanctions are documented by Compliance and submitted to the Code of Ethics Review Committee. The Committee consists of representatives of the investment adviser and the Compliance and Legal departments of ACI. The Committee is responsible for determining the materiality of Code violations and appropriate sanctions.

A.Materiality of Violation

In determining the materiality of a violation, the Committee considers:

Evidence of violation of law;

Indicia of fraud, neglect, or indifference to Code provisions;

Frequency of violations;

Monetary value of the violation in question; and

Level of influence of the violator.

B.Penalty Factors

In assessing the appropriate penalties, the Committee will consider the foregoing in addition to any other factors they deem applicable, such as:

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Extent of harm to client interests;

Extent of unjust enrichment;

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Tenure and prior record of the violator;

The degree to which there is a personal benefit from unique knowledge obtained through employment with ACI;

The level of accurate, honest and timely cooperation from the covered person; and

Any mitigating circumstances.

C.The penalties which may be imposed include, but are not limited to:

1. Non-material violation

a.Warning (notice sent to manager) and/or

b.Attendance at a Code of Ethics training session and/or

c.Suspension of trading privileges.

2.Penalties for material or more frequent non-material violations will be based on the circumstances of the violation. These penalties could include, but are not limited to

a.Suspension of trading privileges and/or

b.Suspension or termination of employment.

In addition, you may be required to surrender to ACI any profit realized from any transaction(s) in violation of this Code of Ethics.

ACI's Quarterly Report to Fund Directors/Trustees

ACI will prepare a quarterly report to the Board of Directors/Trustees of each Fund Client of any material violation of this Code of Ethics.

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APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS

1."Automatic Investment Plan"

"Automatic investment plan" means a program in which regular periodic purchases, exchanges or redemptions are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation including dividend reinvestment plans.

2."Beneficial Ownership" or "Beneficially Owned"

See "Appendix 2: What is Beneficial Ownership?"

3."Code-Exempt Security"

A "code-exempt security" is a security in which you may invest without preclearing the transaction with

ACI. The list of code-exempt securities appears in Appendix 3.

4."Federal Securities Law"

"Federal securities law" means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm- Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted by the Commission or the Department of Treasury.

5."Fund Clients"

Fund clients includes each Fund Client listed on Schedule A.

6."Initial Public Offering"

"Initial public offering" means an offering of securities for which a registration statement has not previously been filed with the SEC and for which there is no active public market.

7."Investment Adviser"

"Investment adviser" includes each investment adviser listed on Schedule A

8."Member of Your Immediate Family"

A "member of your immediate family" means any of the following:

Your spouse or domestic partner;

Your minor children; or

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A relative who shares your home.

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For the purpose of determining whether any of the foregoing relationships exist, a legally adopted child of a person is considered a child of such person.

8."Private Placement"

"Private placement" means an offering of securities in which the issuer relies on an exemption from the registration provisions of the Federal Securities Laws, and usually involves a limited number of sophisticated investors and a restriction on resale of the securities.

9."Reportable Brokerage Accounts"

A "reportable brokerage account" includes any account in which securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of any person subject to this Code of Ethics.

10."Reportable Mutual Fund"

A "reportable mutual fund" includes any mutual fund issued by a Fund Client (as listed on Schedule A) and any subadvised funds (as listed on Schedule B).

11."Security"

A "security" includes a large number of investment vehicles. However, for purposes of this Code of Ethics, "security"(or "securities") includes any of the following:

Note;

Stock, (including stock acquired in private placements and restricted stock in nonpublic companies received through an employee stock ownership program);

Treasury stock;

Bond;

Debenture;

Derivative security;

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) or similar securities;

Unit Investment Trusts (UIT);

Shares of open-end mutual funds;

Shares of closed-end mutual funds;

Evidence of indebtedness;

Certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement;

Collateral-trust certificate;

Preorganization certificate or subscription;

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Transferable share;

Investment contract;

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Voting-trust certificate;

Certificate of deposit for a security;

Interests in private investment companies, hedge funds, or other unregistered collective investment vehicles;

Fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights;

Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege on any security or other financial instrument (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), including stock options received from an employer or through a retirement plan;

Any put, call, straddle, option, future, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency;

In general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security;" or

Any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, future on or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.

12."Subadvised Fund"

A "subadvised fund" means any mutual fund or portfolio listed on Schedule B.

13."Supervised Person"

A "supervised person" means any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment adviser, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of an investment adviser and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment adviser.

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APPENDIX 2: WHAT IS "BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP"?

A "beneficial owner" of a security is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has or shares in the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a purchase or sale of the security.

1.Are securities held by immediate family members or domestic partners "beneficially owned" by me?

Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of

A member of your immediate family OR

Any other person IF you obtain from such securities benefits substantially similar to those of ownership. For example, if you receive or benefit from some of the income from the securities held by your spouse, or domestic partner, you are the beneficial owner; OR

You hold an option or other contractual rights to obtain title to the securities now or in the future.

2.Must I report accounts for which I am listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney?

Yes. As a general rule, you are regarded as an owner of any accounts for which you are listed as a joint owner or have power of attorney.

3.Am I deemed to beneficially own securities in accounts owned by a relative for whom I am listed as beneficiary upon death?

Probably not. Unless you have power of attorney to transact in such accounts or are listed as a joint owner, you likely do not beneficially own the account or securities contained in the account until ownership has been passed to you.

4.Are securities held by a company I own an interest in also "beneficially owned" by me?

Probably not. Owning the securities of a company does not mean you "beneficially own" the securities that the company itself owns. However, you will be deemed to "beneficially own" the securities owned by the company if:

You directly or beneficially own a controlling interest in or otherwise control the company; OR

The company is merely a medium through which you, members of your immediate family, or others in a small group invest or trade in securities and the company has no other substantial business.

5.Are securities held in trust "beneficially owned" by me?

Maybe. You are deemed to "beneficially own" securities held in trust if you or a member of your immediate family are:

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A trustee; or

Have a vested interest in the income or corpus of the trust; or

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A settlor or grantor of the trust and have the power to revoke the trust without obtaining the consent of all the beneficiaries.

A blind trust exemption from the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code may be requested if you or members or your immediate family do not have authority to advise or direct securities transactions of the trust.

6.Are securities in pension or retirement plans "beneficially owned" byme?

Maybe. Beneficial ownership does not include indirect interest by any person in portfolio securities held by a pension or retirement plan of a company whose employees generally are the beneficiaries of the plan.

However, your participation in a pension or retirement plan is considered beneficial ownership of the portfolio securities if you can withdraw and trade the securities without withdrawing from the plan or you can direct the trading of the securities within the plan (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.).

7.Examples of Beneficial Ownership

a. Securities Held by Family Members or Domestic Partners

Example 1: Tom and Mary are married. Although Mary has an independent source of income from a family inheritance and segregates her funds from those of her husband, Mary contributes to the maintenance of the family home. Tom and Mary have engaged in joint estate planning and have the same financial adviser. Since Tom and Mary's resources are clearly significantly directed towards their common property, they shall be deemed to be the beneficial owners of each other's securities.

Example 2: Mike's adult son David lives in Mike's home. David is self-supporting and contributes to household expenses. Mike is a beneficial owner of David's securities.

Example 3: Joe's mother Margaret lives alone and is financially independent. Joe has power of attorney over his mother's estate, pays all her bills and manages her investment affairs. Joe borrows freely from Margaret without being required to pay back funds with interest, if at all. Joe takes out personal loans from Margaret's bank in Margaret's name, the interest from such loans being paid from Margaret's account. Joe is a beneficial owner of Margaret's estate.

Example 4: Bob and Nancy are in a relationship. The house they share is still in Nancy's name only. They have separate checking accounts with an informal understanding that both individuals contribute to the mortgage payments and other common expenses. Nancy is the beneficial owner of Bob's securities.

b.Securities Held by a Company

Example 5: ABC Company is a holding company with five shareholders owning equal shares in the company. Although ABC Company has no business of its own, it has several wholly-owned subsidiaries that invest in securities. Stan is a shareholder of ABC Company. Stan has a beneficial interest in the securities owned by

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ABC Company's subsidiaries.

Example 6: XYZ Company is a large manufacturing company with many shareholders. Stan is a shareholder of XYZ Company. As a part of its cash management function, XYZ Company invests in securities. Neither Stan

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nor any members of his immediate family are employed by XYZ Company. Stan does not beneficially own the securities held by XYZ Company.

c.Securities Held in Trust

Example 7: John is trustee of a trust created for his two minor children. When both of John's children reach 21, each shall receive an equal share of the corpus of the trust. John is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 8: Jane placed securities held by her in a trust for the benefit of her church. Jane can revoke the trust during her lifetime. Jane is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 9: Jim is trustee of an irrevocable trust for his 21-year-old daughter (who does not share his home). The daughter is entitled to the income of the trust until she is 25 years old, and is then entitled to the corpus. If the daughter dies before reaching 25, Jim is entitled to the corpus. Jim is a beneficial owner of any securities owned by the trust.

Example 10: Joan's father (who does not share her home) placed securities in an irrevocable trust for Joan's minor children. Neither Joan nor any member of her immediate family is the trustee of the trust. Joan is a beneficial owner of the securities owned by the trust. She may, however, be eligible for the blind trust exemption to the preclearance and reporting of the trust securities.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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APPENDIX 3: CODE-EXEMPT SECURITIES

Because they do not pose a likelihood for abuse, code-exempt securities are exempt from the Code's preclearance requirements. However, confirmations of transactions in reportable brokerage accounts are required in all cases and some code-exempt securities must also be disclosed on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial, and Annual Holdings Reports.

1.Code-Exempt Securities Not Subject toDisclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports:

Open-end mutual funds that are not considered a reportable mutual fund;

Reportable mutual funds (Access Persons only);

Reportable mutual fund shares purchased through an automatic investment plan (including reinvested dividends);

Money market mutual funds;

Bank Certificates of Deposit;

U.S. government Treasury and Government National Mortgage Association securities;

Commercial paper;

Bankers acceptances;

High quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements. A "high quality short-term debt instrument" means any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized rating organization.

2.Code-Exempt Securities Subject toDisclosure on your Quarterly Transactions, Initial and Annual Holdings Reports:

Reportable mutual fund shares purchased other than through an automatic investment plan (Portfolio and Investment Persons only)

Exchange Traded Products, Closed-End Funds and Unit Investment Trusts

Securities which are acquired through an employer-sponsored automatic payroll deduction plan (only the acquisition of the security is exempt, NOT the sale)

Securities other than open-end mutual funds purchased through dividend reinvestment programs (only the re-investment of dividends in the security is exempt, NOT the sale or other purchases)

Futures contracts on the following:

Standard & Poor's 500 or 100 Index, NASDAQ 100 Index, and DOW 30 Industrials futurescontracts only. Futures contracts for other financial instruments are not Code-exempt.

Commodity futures contracts for agricultural products (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.) only. Futures contracts on precious metals or energy resources are not Code-exempt.

We may modify this list of securities at any time, please send an e-mail to "LG-Personal Security Trades" to

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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request the most current list.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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APPENDIX 4: HOW THE PRECLEARANCE PROCESS WORKS

Preclearance Process

Yes

Denied

Yes

Denied

Employee reports account maintained with an electronic broker or receives

Compliance exemption for the account.

Employee enters preclearance request at http:\\coe\.

 

 

Yes

 

 

 

 

 

Denied

 

 

 

 

No

Yes

 

 

 

 

 

Is the security code-exempt?

 

Approved

 

 

 

 

 

No

If a sell request, does the

Portfolio Person's

assigned funds have a position in the security?

No

Is the trade within the

No

 

7-day black-out?

 

No

Yes

Approved

No

Have there been any open orders or fund trades for this security in the past 24 hours?

No

Is the security:

a. Owned by a fund; or

b. On the electronic follow list for any fund?

Yes

Message sent to portfolio teams asking their intent to trade the security in the next 3 days.

Approved

Approved for 2+ days preclearance.

Yes

Denied

No

Approved

Denied

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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After your request is entered into our preclearance system, it is then subjected to the following tests.

Step 1: Restricted Security List

Is the security on the Restricted Security list?

If "YES", the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.

If "NO", then your request is subject to Step 2.

Step 2: De Minimis Transaction Test

Is the security issuer's market capitalization greater than $7.5 billion?

Will your proposed transaction, together with your other preclearance requests in the security for the current calendar quarter, be less than $50,000?

If the answer to either of these questions is "NO", then your request is subject to Step 3.

Step 3: Client Trades Test

Have there been any transactions in the past 24 hours or is there an open order for that security for anyClient?

If "YES", the system will send a message to you DENYING the personal trade request.

If "NO", then your request is subject to Step 4.

Step 4: Follow List Test

Does any account or Fund own the security?

Does the security appear on the computerized list of stocks ACI is considering to purchase for a Client?

If the answer to BOTH of these questions is "NO", the system will send a message to you APPROVING your proposed transaction.

If the answer to EITHER of these questions is "YES", then your request is subject to Step 5.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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Step 5: Present Intentions Test

A message is sent to portfolio teams that own or are following the security described in your preclearance request. The portfolio teams will be asked if they intend to buy or sell the security within the next three (3) business days.

If ALL of the portfolio management teams respond "NO", your request will be APPROVED. If

ANY of the portfolio management teams respond "YES", your request will be DENIED.

If ANY of the portfolio teams do not respond, your request will be DENIED.

The preclearance process can be changed at any time to ensure that the goals of this Code of Ethics are met.

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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SCHEDULE A: BOARD APPROVAL DATES

This Code of Ethics was most recently approved by the Board of Directors/Trustees of the following Companies as of the dates indicated:

Investment Adviser

Most Recent Approval Date

American Century Investment Management, Inc.

January 1, 2018

 

 

Principal Underwriter

Most Recent Approval Date

American Century Investment Services, Inc.

January 1, 2018

 

 

Fund Clients

Most Recent Approval Date

American Century Asset Allocation Portfolios, Inc.

December 1, 2017

 

 

American Century California Tax-Free and Municipal Funds

December 14, 2017

American Century Capital Portfolios, Inc.

December 1, 2017

 

 

American Century Government Income Trust

December 14, 2017

American Century Growth Funds, Inc.

December 1, 2017

 

 

American Century International Bond Funds

December 14, 2017

American Century Investment Trust

December 14, 2017

 

 

American Century Municipal Trust

December 14, 2017

American Century Mutual Funds, Inc.

December 1, 2017

 

 

American Century Quantitative Equity Funds, Inc.

December 14, 2017

American Century Strategic Asset Allocations, Inc.

December 1, 2017

American Century Target Maturities Trust

December 14, 2017

American Century Variable Portfolios, Inc.

December 1, 2017

American Century Variable Portfolios II, Inc.

December 14, 2017

American Century World Mutual Funds, Inc.

December 1, 2017

American Century ETF Trust

December 20, 2017

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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SCHEDULE B: SUBADVISED FUNDS

This Code of Ethics applies to the following funds which are subadvised by an investment adviser. This list of affiliated funds will be updated on a regular basis.

CIBC Balanced Fund

CIBC Global Equity Growth Pool

CIBC Global Monthly Income Fund

CIBC International Equity Fund

CIBC International Small Companies Fund

CIBC Monthly Income Fund

CIBC U.S. Equity Value Pool

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II: CTIVP-American Century Diversified Bond Fund

EQ Advisors Trust: EQ/American Century Mid Cap Value Portfolio

EQ Advisors Trust – Multimanager Mid Cap Value Portfolio

GuideStone Funds: Defensive Market Strategies Fund

GuideStone Funds: Value Equity Fund

Imperial International Equity Pool

Imperial Overseas Equity Pool

Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program

Lincoln Variable Insurance Products Trust – LVIP American Century Select Mid Cap Managed Volatility Fund

MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Select Mid-Cap Value Fund

MassMutual Select Funds: MassMutual Select Small Company Value Fund

Mercer Funds: Mercer Non-U.S. Core Equity Fund

Mercer Global Investments Canada Limited: Mercer International Equity Fund

MML Series Investment Fund: MML Mid Cap Value Fund

Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust: American Century NVIT Multi Cap Value Fund

Nationwide Variable Insurance Trust: NVIT Multi-Manager Mid Cap Value Fund

Nomura – ACI Advanced Medical Impact Investment Mother Fund

Nomura – ACI Global REIT Mother Fund

Nomura Institutional Fund Select – American Century Global Growth Fund

Nomura U.S. Municipal General Obligation Bond Mother Fund

Nomura U.S. Value Strategy Mother Fund

Nomura Currency Fund – U.S. Growth Equity Fund

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Inflation Protection Portfolio

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Large Company Value Portfolio

Schedule B updated: July 1, 2019

Schedule C updated: March 29, 2019

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.: Mid Cap Value Portfolio

Schedule B updated: July 1, 2019

Schedule C updated: March 29, 2019

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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Penn Series Funds, Inc.: Mid Core Value Fund

PrivilEdge – American Century Emerging Markets Equity

Renaissance Canadian Balanced Fund

Renaissance Canadian Monthly Income Fund

Renaissance Global Focus Fund

Renaissance International Equity Private Pool

Renaissance Private Pools – Renaissance Global Equity Private Pool

Renaissance U.S. Equity Income Fund

Schwab Capital Trust: Laudus International MarketMasters Fund

Seasons Series Trust: SA Multi-Managed Large Cap Value Portfolio

VALIC Company I: Growth Fund

Voya Partners, Inc.: VY American Century Small-Mid Cap Value Portfolio

Schedule B updated: July 1, 2019

Schedule C updated: March 29, 2019

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

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SCHEDULE C: APPROVED ELECTRONIC BROKERS

The following brokers have entered into an agreement with ACI to provide trade confirmations electronically. Employees are prohibited from holding accounts at firms that do not provide electronic trade confirmations unless an account exemption has been given. Please send a message  LG-personal_security_trades@americancentury.com    to request an account exemption.

American Century Brokerage

American Century Personal Financial Solutions (held at Pershing)

Ameriprise

Charles Schwab

Edward Jones

ETRADE

Fidelity

Interactive Broker

JP Morgan Private Bank

Merrill Lynch

Morgan Stanley

Northern Trust

Northwestern Mutual

Raymond James

RBC

TD Ameritrade

UBS

USAA Brokerage

Vanguard

Wells Fargo

Schedule B updated: July 1, 2019

Schedule C updated: March 29, 2019

Policy updated: August 21, 2019

29

Code of Ethics

Policy Original Effective Date: January 2, 2018

Policy Revision Date: December 5, 2019

Version 3.0

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

I.

Introduction and Background ......................................................................................

3

II.

Definitions ...................................................................................................................

5

III.

Personal Securities Trading Policies .........................................................................

11

 

A.

Introduction/Purpose .....................................................................................

11

 

B.

Applicability and Scope ................................................................................

11

 

C.

Policy Details/Discussion..............................................................................

11

 

D.

Additional Requirements...............................................................................

15

 

1.

Monitored Personal Trading Activity............................................................

15

 

2.

Exceptions to Reporting Requirements .........................................................

15

 

3.

Managed Accounts ........................................................................................

15

 

4.

Personal Securities Trading Reporting..........................................................

16

 

5.

Updating the Company's Personal Trading System......................................

17

 

6.

Approved Broker-Dealers .............................................................................

17

 

7.

Account Statements .......................................................................................

17

 

8.

Proprietary Funds ..........................................................................................

18

 

9.

Preclearing Trades in the Personal Securities Trading System .....................

18

 

10.

Profit Disgorgement on Short-Term Trading ................................................

19

 

11.

Prohibition of Short-Selling Securities..........................................................

19

IV.

Code Violations .........................................................................................................

20

Appendicies

 

Appendix A – Proprietary Fund List .................................................................................

21

Appendix B – Approved Brokers List ...............................................................................

23

Appendix C – Initial/Annual Employee Certification .......................................................

24

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I.Introduction and Background

(Definitions of Terms not otherwise defined can be found in Section II.)

This Code of Ethics (the "Code") has been adopted by CenterSquare Investment

Management LLC, and its subsidiary entity, RCG Longview Management LLC, each of which are registered investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act"), and collectively referred to herein as, the "Company", the "Adviser", the "Firm", or "CenterSquare", primarily for the purpose of providing rules for Supervised Persons with respect to adherence to certain standards of conduct along with abiding by policies regarding personal securities transactions.

Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") Rule 204A-1 (the "Rule") under the

Advisers Act, as amended, requires investment advisers to adopt a code of ethics. The Rule requires an investment adviser's code of ethics to set forth standards of conduct and requires Supervised Persons to comply with applicable federal securities laws. The code of ethics must address personal trading, including the reporting of personal securities holdings and transactions and the pre-approval of certain transactions and investments. This Code was adopted to adhere to the Rule. As a sub-adviser to one or more Investment Companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), the

Code also adheres to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act.

The Code applies to all Supervised Persons of the Company. In addition, the Rule requires any Supervised Person that is also an Access Person of the Adviser to report, and the investment adviser to review, their personal securities transactions and holdings periodically. Refer to Section III for personal security trading policies.

Importance of Compliance

CenterSquare provides investment advisory services for its clients' investments in private equity and debt real estate investments and publicly traded real estate securities and publicly traded infrastructure securities. CenterSquare's clients are primarily institutional pension plans. Investment vehicles advised or subadvised by CenterSquare include separate accounts, private commingled equity and debt real estate funds, other pooled investment vehicles including foreign funds and subadvised bank collective funds. Additionally, CenterSquare is a subadviser to multiple Investment Companies.

CenterSquare has a fiduciary duty to each and every one of its clients. The policy of CenterSquare is to treat its clients fairly and equitably, including to protect the interests of each of its clients and to place a client's interests first and foremost in each and every situation. The Adviser's fiduciary duty includes providing to clients and potential clients full and fair disclosure of all relevant facts and any potential or actual conflicts of interest. Each Supervised Person has a responsibility to act in a manner consistent with this duty.

3

Every Supervised Person must focus on the interests of the clients first and bring to the attention of CenterSquare's Compliance Team ("Compliance") any matter that appears to them to compromise the interest of any client. The email address to reach the Compliance Team is compliance@centersquare.com .  It is the responsibility of all Supervised Persons to understand fully and comply with the Code and the policies of CenterSquare and to seek guidance whenever necessary.

Regulatory Background

The investment management industry is closely regulated under the provisions of the federal securities laws including, but not limited to, the Advisers Act and the 1940 Act, and by the regulations and interpretations of the SEC under those statutes. Transactions in securities are also governed by the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") as well as by state laws. The rules of conduct set forth in this Code are based in large part on rules of law and legal concepts developed under the federal securities laws. These legal concepts do not remain static, and further developments of the law in these areas may be expected. They were developed in an effort to self-regulate and preserve investors' confidence that their interests are placed ahead of our own personal trading activities. Supervised Persons of the Company should conduct business to avoid not only any violation of law, but also any appearance of violation or grounds for criticism.

Compliance shall provide this Code, as well as any amendments, to each Supervised Person, and each Supervised Person shall be required to provide written acknowledgement of receipt thereof and also confirm its understanding of its contents on no less than an annual basis.

(The remainder of this page is intentionally blank)

4

II.Definitions

The following represent terms and related definitions that are used in this Code. Access Persons

An Access Person means any Supervised Person of the Company who (1) has access to non-public information regarding any clients' purchase or sale of securities, or non- public information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Proprietary Fund, or (2) is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are non-public. All Employees of CenterSquare are designated as an Access Person. The CCO may designate other non-employee Supervised Persons as Access Persons.

Automatic Investment Plan

A program in which regular periodic purchases (withdrawals) are made automatically to/from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. Examples include: Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPS), payroll deductions, bank account drafts or deposits, automatic mutual fund investments/withdrawals (PIPS/SWIPS), and asset allocation accounts.

Covered Securities

Covered Securities means any security as defined in section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act, except:

(i)Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;

(ii)Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and

(iii)Shares issued by Investment Companies

Direct Ownership

Direct ownership means Employee is named on the security or account.

Employee

An individual employed by CenterSquare. This includes all full-time and part-time employees in all CenterSquare locations.

5

Exempt Securities

All securities require reporting unless expressly exempt by this policy. The below securities are exempt from reporting.

Cash and cash-like securities (e.g., bankers acceptances, bank CDs and time deposits, money market funds, commercial paper, repurchase agreements);

Direct obligations of the United States;

High-quality, short-term debt instruments having a maturity of less than 366 days at issuance and rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization or which is unrated but of comparable quality;

Securities issued by open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds, variable capital companies, and Index Funds) that are not exchange traded funds and not a Proprietary Fund;

Securities in non-Company 401(k) plans (e.g., spouse's plan, previous employer's plan, etc.) unless the non-Company 401(k) plan contains a self- directed account in which reportable securities can be traded;

Securities in qualified tuition programs ("529 Plans"), except to the extent the qualified tuition programs hold Proprietary Funds;

Fixed annuities;

Variable annuities that invest in funds which are not Proprietary Funds;

Securities held in approved non-discretionary Managed Accounts (i.e., the Employee has given total investment discretion to an investment manager and retains no ability to influence specific trades); and

Stock held in a bona fide Employee benefit plan of an organization not affiliated with CenterSquare on behalf of an employee of that organization, who is a member of CenterSquare Employee's immediate family. For example, if an Employee's spouse works for an organization unrelated to CenterSquare, the Employee is not required to report for transactions that his/her spouse makes in the unrelated organization's company stock so long as they are part of an employee benefit plan. This exemption does not apply to any plan that allows the Employee to buy and sell securities other than those of their employer. Such situations would subject the account to all requirements of this policy.

Exchange Traded Fund ("ETF")

A type of exchange-traded investment product that must register with the SEC under the 1940 Act as either an open-end investment company or a unit investment trust. Like mutual funds, ETFs offer investors a way to pool their money in a fund that makes investments in stocks, bonds, or other assets and, in return, to receive an interest in that investment pool. Unlike mutual funds, however, ETF shares are traded on a national stock exchange and at market prices that may or may not be the same as the net asset value ("NAV") of shares, that is, the value of the ETF's assets, minus its liabilities divided by the number of shares outstanding.

6

Front Running

The purchase or sale of securities for an Employee's own, or the company's, accounts on the basis of Employee's knowledge of the company's or company's clients trading positions or plans.

Index Fund

An Investment Company or managed portfolio (including indexed accounts and model- driven accounts) that contain securities in proportions designed to replicate the performance of an independently maintained, broad-based index or that is based not on investment discretion but on computer models using prescribed objective criteria to replicate such an independently maintained index.

Indirect Ownership

Generally, an Employee is the indirect owner of securities if the Employee is named as power of attorney on the account or, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, the Employee has the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to share at any time in any profit derived from a transaction in them (a "pecuniary interest"). Common indirect ownership situations include, but are not limited to:

Securities held by members of an Employee's immediate family by blood, marriage, adoption, or otherwise, who share the same household with the Employee.

"Immediate family" includes an Employee's spouse, domestic partner, children (including stepchildren, foster children, sons-in-law and daughters- in-law), grandchildren, parents (including step-parents, mothers-in-law and fathers-in-law), grandparents, and siblings (including brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and stepbrothers and stepsisters).

Partnership interests in a general partnership or a general partner in a limited partnership. Passive limited partners are not deemed to be owners of partnership securities absent unusual circumstances, such as influence over investment decisions.

Corporate shareholders who have or share investment control over a corporation's investment portfolio.

Trusts in which the parties to the trust have both a pecuniary interest and investment control.

Derivative securities – An Employee is the indirect owner of any security for which the Employee has the right to acquire through the exercise or conversion of any option, warrant, convertible security or other derivative security, whether or not presently exercisable.

Securities held in investment clubs.

Initial Public Offering ("IPO")

The first offering of a company's securities to the public.

7

Investment Clubs

Organizations whose members make joint decisions on which securities to buy or sell. The securities are generally held in the name of the investment club. Prior to participating in an investment club, all Employees are required to obtain written permission from the CCO. Employees who receive permission to participate in an investment club are subject to the requirements of this policy.

Investment Company

A company that is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end investment company, a closed-end investment company or unit investment trust and that issues securities that represents an undivided interest in the net assets held by the company. Mutual funds, including Money Market Funds, are open-end investment companies that issue and sell redeemable securities representing an undivided interest in the net assets of the company.

Money Market Fund

An Investment Company that invests in short-term debt instruments where its portfolio is valued at amortized cost so as to seek to maintain a stable net asset value (typically, of $1 per share).

Managed Account

An account in which the Employee has a beneficial interest but no direct or indirect control over the investment decision-making process. It may be exempted from preclearance and reporting procedures only if the CCO is satisfied that the account is truly non-discretionary (i.e., the Employee has given total investment discretion to an investment manager and retains no ability to influence specific trades).

Option

A security which gives the investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specific security at a specified price within a specified timeframe. For purposes of compliance with this policy, an Employee who buys/sells an option is deemed to have purchased/sold the underlying security when the option was purchased/sold. Four combinations are possible as follows:

Call Options

If an Employee buys a call option, the Employee is considered to have purchased the underlying security on the date the option was purchased.

If an Employee sells a call option, the Employee is considered to have sold the underlying security on the date the option was sold (for covered call writing, the sale of an out-of-the-money option is not considered for purposes of the 60 day trading prohibition).

8

Put Options

If an Employee buys a put option, the Employee is considered to have sold the underlying security on the date the option was purchased.

If an Employee sells a put option, the Employee is considered to have bought the underlying security on the date the option was sold.

Personal Trading Accounts

Personal Trading Accounts include discretionary accounts with Direct or Indirect Ownership and includes accounts that have the capability of holding Reportable Securities, whether or not the account currently holds Reportable Securities.

Personal Trading Restricted Securities List

Access Persons are prohibited from holding securities in discretionary accounts that are part of CenterSquare's universe of investable public securities. Securities that are held, or may be held, by client accounts are reported in this list and serves to prohibit Access Persons from preclearance of restricted securities.

Private Placement

An offering of securities that is exempt from registration under various laws and rules, such as the Securities Act in the United States and the Listing Rules in the United Kingdom. Such offerings are exempt from registration because they do not constitute a public offering. Private placements can include limited partnerships, certain cooperative investments in real estate, commingled investment vehicles such as hedge funds, and investments in privately held and family-owned businesses. For the purpose of this policy, time-shares and cooperative investments in real estate used as a primary or secondary residence are not considered to be private placements.

Proprietary Fund(s)

An Investment Company or commingled fund for which CenterSquare serves as a sub- adviser. Refer to Appendix A for a list of Proprietary Funds.

Reportable Securities

Any security, including Covered Securities, unless expressly exempt (see definition of Exempt Securities). Securities include any investment that represents an ownership stake or debt stake in a company, partnership, governmental unit, business or other enterprise. It includes stocks, bonds, notes, evidences of indebtedness, certificates of participation in any profit-sharing agreement, units in collective investment undertakings, collateral trust certificates and certificates of deposit. It also includes security-based derivatives and swaps and many types of puts, calls, straddles and Options on any security or group of securities; fractional undivided interests in oil, gas, or other mineral rights; and investment contracts, variable life insurance policies and variable annuities whose cash values or benefits are tied to the performance of an investment account. Reportable securities also include Proprietary Funds and Exchange Traded Funds.

9

Scalping

The purchase or sale of securities for clients for the purpose of affecting the value of a security owned or to be acquired by the Employee or the company.

Self-Directed Accounts

An account established as part of CenterSquare's 401(k) plan or non-Company 401(k) plan that offers Employees or an Employee's immediate family member the opportunity to build and manage their own investment portfolio through the purchase and sale of a broad variety of Investment Company Funds including Exchange Traded Funds, Index Funds, Proprietary Funds, non-Proprietary Funds, and other reportable securities.

Short Sell

The sale of a security that is not owned by the seller at the time of the trade.

Spread Betting

A type of speculation that involves taking a bet on the price movement of a security. A spread betting company quotes two prices, the bid and offer price (also, called the spread), and investors bet whether the price of the underlying security will be lower than the bid or higher than the offer. The investor does not own the underlying security in spread betting, they simply speculate on the price movement of the stock.

Supervised Person(s)

Supervised Persons is defined as any officer or director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or Employee, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of CenterSquare and is subject to the supervision and control of CenterSquare.

The CenterSquare Compliance Monitored List

The CenterSquare Compliance Monitored List is a list of publicly traded companies that are restricted by CenterSquare Compliance for client trading for various reasons. Such reasons may include, but are not limited to, a company about which CenterSquare personnel have acquired material non-public information ("MNPI") or a position where CenterSquare may have a securities filing obligation.

10

III.Personal Securities Trading Policies

A. Introduction/Purpose

The Adviser's Access Persons are subject to certain laws and/or regulations governing the personal trading of securities/financial instruments (collectively referred to as "securities" throughout this policy) including the securities laws of various jurisdictions pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, and Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In order to ensure that all Access Persons' personal investments are free from conflicts of interest and are in full compliance with the laws and regulations of all jurisdictions in which the Adviser does business, the Adviser has established limitations on personal trading. This section describes the requirements and restrictions related to personal securities transactions.

B. Applicability and Scope

Each Access Person as designated by the CCO agrees to be bound by these personal securities trading policies.

C.Policy Details/Discussion

a)Compliance with this Policy

Employees must read and understand this policy and comply with the spirit and the strict letter of its provisions. Failure to comply may result in the imposition of serious sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, the disgorgement of profits, cancellation of trades, selling of positions, suspension of personal trading privileges, dismissal, and referral to law enforcement or regulatory agencies.

The provisions of the policy have worldwide applicability and cover trading in any part of the world, subject to the provisions of any controlling local law. To the extent any particular portion of the policy is inconsistent with, or in particular less restrictive than such laws, Employees must consult with Compliance.

To report a known or suspected violation of this policy, immediately contact Compliance.

b)CenterSquare Personal Trading Restricted Securities List

As a risk mitigant, Access Persons are prohibited from holding securities in discretionary accounts that are part of CenterSquare's universe of investable public securities. Securities that are held, or may be held, by client accounts are reported in CenterSquare's Personal Trading Restricted Securities List and serves to prohibit

Access Persons from preclearance of restricted securities. Any exceptions to this requirement is subject to written approval by the CCO.

c)General Requirements

The following general requirements apply to all Employees of the Company. In addition to the below standards of conduct, Access Persons must also comply with the additional requirements as described in the next section of this policy (See Additional Requirements).

11

a)Fiduciary Duty

The Company and its Employees may owe a fiduciary duty to every client. Among the duties that an Employee owes a client when acting as a fiduciary on their behalf is not to engage in personal securities transactions that may be deemed to take inappropriate advantage of his/her position in relation to that client. Employees must be mindful of this obligation, use their best efforts to honor it, and report promptly to Compliance any Company Employee that fails to meet this obligation.

b)Protecting Material Non-public Information and Compliance with Securities Laws

Employees, in carrying out job their responsibilities, must, at a minimum, comply with all applicable legal requirements and securities laws. Employees may receive information about the Company, its clients, or other parties that for various reasons must be treated as confidential. With respect to these parties, Employees are not permitted to divulge to anyone (except as may be permitted in accordance with approved procedures) current portfolio positions (different rules will determine what is deemed to be "current"), current or anticipated portfolio transactions, or programs or studies of the Company or any client. Employees must comply with measures in place to preserve the confidentiality of information.

c)Prohibitions Against Insider Trading

Employees and the members of their household are prohibited from engaging in, or helping others engage in, insider trading. Generally, the "insider trading" doctrine under U.S. federal securities laws prohibits any person (including investment advisers) from knowingly or recklessly breaching a duty owed by that person by:

trading while in possession of material, non-public information;

communicating ("tipping") such information to others;

recommending the purchase or sale of securities on the basis of such information; or

providing substantial assistance to someone who is engaged in any of the above activities.

This means that Employees and members of their household may not trade with respect to a particular security or issuer at a time when that person knows or should know that he or she is in possession of material non-public information about the issuer or security. Information is considered "material" if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or if it could reasonably be expected to affect the price of a company's securities.

12

Material information can also relate to events or circumstances affecting the market for a company's securities such as information about an expected government ruling or regulation that can affect the business of a company in which a client may invest. Information is considered non-public until such time as it has been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally (e.g., through national business and financial news wire services).

Unlawful disclosure/Tipping laws may apply to any person who passes along MNPI upon which a trade or order is based. Employees who possess MNPI about an issuer of securities (whether that issuer is the Company, another company, a client or supplier, any fund or other issuer) must not trade in that issuer's securities, either for their own accounts or for any account over which they exercise investment discretion.

Employees who possess MNPI about an issuer of securities must not induce another person to engage in insider trading or trade where the person using the recommendation or inducement knows or ought to know that it is based upon MNPI.

Refer to the Company's Securities Firewalls Policy for guidance in determining when information is material and/or nonpublic and how to handle such information.

d)Trading in Securities

Employees must be sensitive to any impropriety in connection with their personal securities transactions in securities of any issuer, including those owned indirectly (see Indirect Ownership in Section II of this Code, Definitions). In addition, Employees are prohibited from Front Running and Scalping.

e)Spread Betting

Taking bets on securities pricing to reflect market movements activities as a mechanism for avoiding the preclearance restrictions on personal securities trading arising under the provisions of this policy is prohibited. Such transactions themselves constitute transactions in securities for the purposes of the policy and are subject to all of the provisions applicable to other non- exempted transactions.

f)Initial Public Offerings

Employees are prohibited from acquiring securities in a Personal Trading Account through an allocation by the underwriter of an initial public offering (IPO). Any questions as to whether a particular offering constitutes an IPO, should be directed to Compliance before submitting an indication of interest to purchase the security.

13

g)Private Placements

Acquisition – Employees are prohibited from acquiring any security in a Private Placement unless the Employee obtains prior written approval from Compliance. In order to receive approval, Employees must complete and submit to Compliance the Private Placement Form, which can be found in BasisCode or by sending an email to Compliance.

Subsequent Actions – Subsequent subscriptions to the same private placement do not require preclearance unless they are material in size. If an Employee is unsure whether an additional subscription requires preclearance, please consult with Compliance.

Company Sponsored Investments – No pre-clearance is required for investments in Company (or affiliate) sponsored or Company managed private placements. Employees will periodically confirm such investments when requested by Compliance.

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14

D. Additional Requirements

In addition to the General Requirements described above, Access Persons are also subject to the following requirements:

1.Monitored Personal Trading Activity

In order to ensure compliance with securities laws and to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, Compliance monitors the personal trading activities of Access Persons, that maintain Personal Trading Accounts, via an automated personal securities trading system called BasisCode. Personal Trading Accounts include discretionary accounts with Direct or Indirect Ownership and includes accounts that have the capability of holding Reportable Securities, whether or not the account currently holds Reportable Securities. Compliance will grant Access Persons secure access to the system so that they can fulfill their personal securities trading reporting requirements as described below.

2.Exceptions to Reporting Requirements No Access Person is required to submit:

(i)any report with respect to covered securities held in a personal account over which the employee "had no direct or indirect influence or control" (e.g., a blind trust). Recent SEC staff guidance addressing such accounts states that the SEC staff believes that the fact that an employee provides a trustee with management authority over a trust for which he or she is grantor or beneficiary, or provides a third-party manager discretionary investment authority over his or her personal account, by itself, is insufficient for an adviser to reasonably believe that the employee had no direct or indirect influence or control over the trust or account for purposes of relying on the reporting exception; or

(ii)a transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan (i.e., a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation, including any dividend reinvestment plans).

3.Managed Accounts

Access Persons may open and maintain Managed Accounts with any broker including non-approved brokers. The requirements listed under this Additional Requirements section do not apply to Managed Accounts. Generally, a Managed Account is an account in which the Employee has a beneficial interest but no direct or indirect control over the investment decision making process. It may be exempted from preclearance and reporting procedures only if Compliance is satisfied that the account is truly non- discretionary (i.e., the Employee has given total investment discretion to an investment manager and retains no ability to influence specific trades).

15

Access Persons are required to submit their discretionary investment management agreement, their Managed Account broker name and account numbers, and if deemed necessary by Compliance, the Access Persons and broker must provide an attestation that the account is truly discretionary. Access Persons are also required to complete an annual certification regarding Managed Accounts. Managed Accounts must also be disclosed by the employee in BasisCode. In addition, Access Persons are required to provide copies of statements to Compliance when requested.

4.Personal Securities Trading Reporting

a) Initial and Annual Reporting (Holdings Reports and Attestation)

Within ten days after a person is classified by Compliance as an Access Person, and annually thereafter, such person shall submit to Compliance a completed Initial Holdings Report. The report is completed within the personal securities trading system, BasisCode. Each holdings report must contain, at a minimum, (a) the title and type of Security, and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number and number of shares of each Reportable Security in which the person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the person maintains an account in which any Covered Securities are held for the person's direct or indirect benefit; and (c) the date the person submits the report. The Initial Holdings Report, which includes an initial broker account template and required for current broker statements, must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person is classified as an Access Person. The Annual Holdings Report, which is included in the fourth quarter personal trading certification, shall be submitted prior to 30 days after the end of the most recent completed calendar year end and must reflect actual holdings as of the end of the most recent completed calendar year. All Access Persons must also complete an Initial and Annual Attestation statement (see the Initial/Annual Employee Certification form included as Appendix C).

b) Quarterly Reporting (Transaction Reports)

Each Access Person shall complete quarterly transaction reporting by completing certifications in BasisCode showing all transactions in Reportable Securities in which the person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership, as well as all accounts established with brokers, dealers or banks during the calendar quarter in which any Reportable Securities were held for the direct or indirect beneficial interest of the Access Person. Such reports shall be filed no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

16

5.Updating the Company's Personal Trading System

a) New Accounts

Access Persons are responsible for adding to the Company's personal securities trading system as soon as possible any new Personal Trading Accounts that are opened after the Initial Holdings Report has been submitted. This requirement applies to both Direct and Indirect Ownership Personal Trading Accounts.

b) Gifts and Inheritances

Access Persons who give or receive a gift of Reportable Securities (excluding Exempt Securities) or receive an inheritance that includes Reportable Securities (excluding Exempt Securities) must report the activity in the Company's personal securities trading system within 10 calendar days. The report must disclose the name of the person receiving or giving the gift or inheritance, date of the transaction, and name of the broker through which the transaction was effected (if applicable). A gift of Reportable Securities must be one where the donor does not receive anything of monetary value in return.

6.Approved Broker-Dealers

All U.S.-based Access Persons must maintain any Direct or Indirect Ownership Personal Trading Accounts that may hold Reportable Securities at specific broker- dealers that have been approved by the Company. These approved broker-dealers will provide electronic feeds that will automatically update Reportable Securities. Refer to Appendix B for a list of Company Approved Brokers. Access Persons living outside the U.S. are not subject to this requirement, and accordingly are required to upload quarterly broker statements into BasisCode. Annual broker statements are considered acceptable for Personal Trading Accounts which only hold or are established to hold one security (i.e. single security holdings in Computershare account). Any other exceptions to this requirement must be approved, in writing, by the CCO.

7.Account Statements

U.S.-based Access Persons who receive an exception to the approved broker-dealer requirement or who are in the process of moving their Personal Trading Account(s) to an approved broker-dealer must either submit quarterly statements directly to Compliance or upload them to BasisCode. Non-U.S.-based Access Persons are required to submit their quarterly account statements (unless another frequency is approved by the CCO) to Compliance or upload them to BasisCode. This requirement applies to both Direct and Indirect Ownership accounts and includes any account that has the capability of holding Reportable Securities (excluding Exempt Securities) regardless of what the account is currently holding.

For Reportable Securities held outside of a Personal Trading Account (such as those held directly with an issuer or maintained in paper certificate form), Access Persons must comply with the Company's request to confirm such transactions and holdings, which is generally performed annually.

17

8.Proprietary Funds

Access Persons are required to report (and preclear transactions) in the personal securities trading system any Proprietary Funds held in brokerage accounts or held directly with the mutual fund company. Refer to Appendix A for a list of Proprietary Funds.

Proprietary Funds may also be available to Access Persons within CenterSquare's company 401(k) plan. Please note the following when investing in Proprietary Funds within the Company's 401(k):

Regular contributions via elections are NOT considered purchases, and therefore, do not require preclearance;

Rebalancing into or out of a Proprietary Fund IS considered a purchase or sale. Preclearance is required when rebalancing into or out of Proprietary Funds; and

Since CenterSquare's 401(k) is not linked to the personal securities trading system, transaction activity of Proprietary Funds is manually updated by Compliance on a quarterly basis. No action is required by the Access Person outside of preclearing purchases and sales as detailed above.

9.Preclearing Trades in the Personal Securities Trading System

Access Persons are required to receive preclearance approval in the Company's personal securities trading system prior to executing trades in all Reportable Securities (excluding Exempt Securities). Access Persons must also preclear trades in Proprietary Funds. See below for more details regarding trade preclearance requirements.

Trade Preclearance Requirements:

Access Persons are required to preclear trades as noted above. General Preclearance Requirements:

a)Obtain Preclearance Prior to Initiating a Transaction

In order to trade Reportable Securities, Access Persons are required to submit a preclearance request in the Company's personal securities trading system and receive notice that the preclearance request was approved prior to placing a security trade. Unless expressly exempt (see exemptions below), all securities transactions are covered by this preclearance requirement. Although preclearance approval does not obligate an Employee to place a trade, preclearance should not be made for transactions the Employee does not intend to make. Employees may not discuss the response to a preclearance request with anyone (excluding any account co-owners or indirect owners).

b)Execute Trade Within Preclearance Window (Preclearance Expiration)

Preclearance authorization will expire at the end of the second business day after it is received. The day authorization is granted is considered the first business day. See example below.

18

Example:

An Access Person requests and receives trade preclearance approval on Monday at 3 PM EST. The preclearance authorization is valid until the close of business on Tuesday.

Note of Caution:

Employees who place "limit," "stop-loss," "good-until-cancelled," or "standing buy/sell" orders are cautioned that transactions receiving preclearance authorization must be executed before the preclearance expires. At the end of the preclearance authorization period, any unexecuted order must be canceled. A new preclearance authorization may be requested; however, if the request is denied, the trade order with the broker-dealer must be canceled immediately.

c)Exemptions from the Requirement to Preclear

Preclearance is not required for the following security transactions:

Exempt Securities as defined in the Definitions in Section II of this Code.

Non-financial commodities (e.g., agricultural futures, metals, oil, gas, etc.), currency, and financial futures (excluding stock and narrow-based stock index futures).

Involuntary on the part of an Employee (such as stock dividends or sales of fractional shares); however, sales initiated by brokers to satisfy margin calls are not considered involuntary and must be precleared.

Pursuant to the exercise of rights (purchases or sales) issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer.

Sells effected pursuant to a bona fide tender offer.

Pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

Cryptocurrency

10.Profit Disgorgement on Short-Term Trading

Any profits recognized from purchasing then selling or selling then purchasing the same or equivalent (derivative) Reportable Securities within any 60 calendar day period must be disgorged. For purposes of disgorgement, profit recognition is based upon the difference between the most recent purchase and sale prices for the most recent transactions. Accordingly, profit recognition for disgorgement purposes may differ from the capital gains calculations for tax purposes. The disposition of any disgorged profits will be at the discretion of the Company, and the Employee will be responsible for any tax and related costs.

11.Prohibition of Short-Selling Securities

Employees may not Short Sell securities in their Personal Trading Accounts.

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IV. Code Violations

Violations of any aspect of this Code require immediate reporting to Compliance. The CCO holds discretionary authority to revoke personal trading privileges for personal trading violations, including multiple violations of policy.

In the event an infraction has occurred, the CCO or member of the Compliance team will contact such employee and, in the event of a repeat violation, will contact their direct supervisor to discuss the infraction and any necessary corrective and/or disciplinary action to be taken. The severity of the disciplinary action taken will be determined by a variety of factors, including the nature of the infraction and the employee's history of compliance with the policies and procedures set forth in the Compliance Manual (including the Code of Ethics). Disciplinary action may include (but is not limited to) any combination of the following: email communication from the CCO or Compliance team member to the employee regarding the infraction; additional mandatory training sessions for such employee (which will focus on the compliance policies and procedures relevant to the infraction); temporary suspension of personal trading activities (if relevant to the infraction); profit disgorgement of personal trades (if relevant to the infraction); and written notice to members of Senior Management regarding the Supervised Person's infraction and any corrective action taken.

Violations of or non-compliance with any provision of the Compliance Manual may subject the firm and its Supervised Persons to regulatory actions and other consequences and may result in disciplinary action against the Supervised Person, up to and including termination of employment.

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20

Appendix A

Proprietary Funds List

 

 

Security Identifier Type (ISIN or CUSIP

 

 

or SEDOL) CUSIP= 9 Characters, ISIN=

Full Legal Name of Public Fund

Ticker Symbol

12 Characters, SEDOL= 7 Characters

 

 

 

Asset Management One Co. Ltd US Preferred REIT Fund (Dynamic

 

 

Hedge)

4731414C

JP90C000B7H9

 

 

 

Asset Management One Co. Ltd US Preferred REIT Fund (Hedged)

4731514C

JP90C000B7J5

 

 

 

Asset Management One Co. Ltd US Preferred REIT Fund (Non-

 

 

Hedged)

4731614C

JP90C000B7K3

 

 

 

Nomura Global REIT Premium Currency Select Monthly Dividend

01312124 JP

 

 

 

 

Nomura Global REIT Premium Currency Select Semi-Annual

 

 

Dividend

01314124 JP

 

 

 

 

Nomura Global REIT Premium JPY Monthly Dividend

01311124 JP

 

 

 

 

Nomura Global REIT Premium JPY Semi-Annual Dividend

01313124 JP

 

 

 

 

AMG Managers CenterSquare Real Estate Fund Class I

MRASX

00170J698

 

 

 

AMG Managers CenterSquare Real Estate Fund Class N

MRESX

00170J748

 

 

 

AMG Managers CenterSquare Real Estate Fund Class Z

MREZX

00170J680

 

 

 

State Street Real Estate Securities V.I.S Fund (formerly GE

 

 

Investments Real Estate Securities Fund)

SSRSX

361972607

 

 

 

OFP GE European Fund

 

 

 

 

 

Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund Class A

GIREX

39822J102

 

 

 

Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund Class C

GCREX

39822J201

 

 

 

Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund Class I

GRIFX

39822J300

 

 

 

Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund Class L

GLREX

39822J409

 

 

 

SEI Institutional Managed Trust - Real Estate Fund Class F

SETAX

783925472

 

 

 

SEI Institutional Managed Trust - Real Estate Fund Class I

SEIRX

783925373

 

 

 

SEI Institutional Managed Trust - Real Estate Fund Class Y

SREYX

78413L878

 

 

 

 BNY Mellon Global Real Estate Securities Fund  Class A

DRLAX

05588F816

 

 

 

BNY Mellon Global Real Estate Securities Fund Class C

DGBCX

05588F824

 

 

 

 BNY Mellon Global Real Estate Securities Fund  Class I

DRLIX

05588F832

 

 

 

Version 3.0

Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II - CTIVP - CenterSquare Real Estate Fund

CF GLOBAL REAL ESTATE SECURITIES FUND

EB GLOBAL REAL ESTATE FUND

EB U.S. REAL ESTATE SECURITIES FUND

PineBridge US REIT Mother Fund Code

VA US REIT Mother Fund 1

22

Appendix B

Approved Brokers List

1.Charles Schwab

2.E-Trade

3.Fidelity

4.Interactive Brokers

5.Merrill Lynch

6.Morgan Stanley

7.TD Ameritrade

8.UBS AG

9.Vanguard

10.Wells Fargo Advisors

11.JP Morgan*

12.Raymond James

13.Janney Montgomery Scott

*CenterSquare Compliance should be consulted prior to opening an account with JP Morgan.

Note: The Approved Broker List is subject to change as CenterSquare Compliance may determine a need to add or remove approved brokers to meet regulatory requirements.

23

Appendix C

Initial/Annual Employee Certification

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT OF COMPLIANCE MANUAL, CODE OF ETHICS, INSIDER TRADING POLICIES & ANNUAL CERTIFICATION

Please specify:

Initial Report

or

Annual Renewal

1.Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the current Compliance Manual, Code of Ethics, and Securities Firewall Policies, and I represent that:

a.I have read its terms and understand that I am fully subject to its provisions.

b.I have specifically read the Code of Ethics and I understand that it applies to me and to all Reportable Securities in which I have or acquire a Direct or Indirect Ownership. I have read the definitions of "Direct Ownership" and "Indirect Ownership" contained within the Code of Ethics, and I understand that I may be deemed to have Indirect Ownership in Reportable Securities owned by members of my household and that transactions effected by members of my household may therefore be subject to this Code of Ethics.

c.I agree that in case of a violation, I may be subject to various possible sanctions (pursuant to both the Code of Ethics and the Compliance Manual) and as determined by the Chief Compliance Officer and/or Board of Directors (or its delegate). Possible sanctions include verbal and written warnings, fines, trading suspensions, reversal of trades by which I agree to disgorge and forfeit any profits or absorb any loss on prohibited transactions, termination of employment, civil referral to the Securities and Exchange Commission, and criminal referral.

d.I will comply with the Compliance Manual, Code of Ethics, and the Securities Firewall Policy in all respects.

CenterSquare personnel provide training on the Compliance Manual and Code of Ethics annually to each Covered Person. However, each person is responsible for understanding and complying with both the Compliance Manual and Code of Ethics of his/her own volition.

_________________________________________________________

Signature

Date

___________________________________________

Printed Name

24

Global Code of Ethics

and Standard of Conduct

Personal Investments

Outside Activities

Gifts and Business Entertainment

Political Contributions

Other Policy Highlights

Message from Our Co-CEOs

The success of Dimensional Fund Advisors can be traced directly back to our firm's first two guiding principles: Act in the best interest of clients, and act ethically and legally. These beliefs have helped us set the industry standard in exceptional service and build lasting partnerships with our clients.

These strong relationships, some spanning over 30 years, are built on trust

treating our clients as we would want to be treated and always doing what we say we are going to do. We take our fiduciary obligation seriously and continually work to act as stewards of our clients' assets, free from conflicts of interest.

Our firm's commitment to integrity makes us stand out in a financial industry where competitive pressures are intense to behave otherwise. Dimensional will never compromise its principles or its compliance with laws and regulations, and we depend on our employees, as representatives of the firm, to uphold our ideals.

Please read this guide to learn the rules that influence our decisions and enable us to maintain the highest legal and ethical standards. Your cooperation with our code of ethics and standard of conduct will guarantee our reputation well into the future. We would like to thank you for your continued dedication to Dimensional and to our clients, which in turn allows us to continue providing for your success.

Dave Butler

Gerard O'Reilly

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Co-Chief Executive Officer and

 

Chief Investment Officer

Table of Contents

Introduction

 

Reporting Code and Standard of Conduct Violations .................................

6

Certification Requirements ..............................................................................

6

Sanctions ...........................................................................................................

6

Code of Ethics

 

Who is subject to the Code? ...........................................................................

8

Covered Accounts ............................................................................................

8

New Accounts ...................................................................................................

9

Authorized Brokerage Firms – U.S. Employees

 

and U.S. Persons Subject to the Code..........................................................

9

Non-Reportable Accounts .............................................................................

10

Personal Securities Transactions.................................................................

10

Private Placements.........................................................................................

11

Reportable Transactions (transactions which do not require

 

pre-clearance, but must be reported) ..........................................................

11

Personal Trading Restrictions and Prohibited Activities ...........................

12

Reporting Requirements................................................................................

14

Summary of Reporting Obligations ..............................................................

14

Communications with Disinterested Trustees and Outside Directors.....

15

Japan Supplement..........................................................................................

15

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

4

Standard of Conduct

 

Outside Activities ............................................................................................

16

Guidelines

17

Approval Process

17

Gifts and Business Entertainment................................................................

18

Gifts

18

Business Entertainment 19

Political Contributions.....................................................................................

20

Other Policy Highlights...................................................................................

22

Policy Against Bribery and Corruption

22

Privacy Policies 22

Glossary of Terms..................................................................................................

23

Appendix A – List of Authorized Brokerage Firms ............................................

27

Introduction

All of us at Dimensional are responsible for maintaining the very highest ethical standards when conducting business. In keeping with these standards, we should adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of the law. Dimensional's Global Code of Ethics (the "Code") and Standard of Conduct (the "Standard of Conduct") are designed to help ensure that our actions are consistent with these high standards.

The Code and the Standard of Conduct have been adopted by Dimensional pursuant to SEC Rules with the objectives of promoting:

n honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

n full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents filed with relevant global regulatory agencies and in other public communications made by Dimensional;

n compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations;

n the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code and the Standard of Conduct to the Global Chief Compliance Officer ("Global CCO") and the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer ("Designated Officer"); and

n accountability for adherence to the Code and the Standard of Conduct.

Adherence to the Code and the Standard of Conduct is a basic condition of employment. Whether or not a specific situation is addressed, you must conduct yourself in accordance with the general principles of the Code and Standard of Conduct and in a manner that is designed to avoid unlawful conflicts of interest. Failure to comply could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

6

INTRODUCTION

Reporting Code and Standard of Conduct Violations

 

Dimensional is committed to fostering a culture of compliance. If you have

 

any questions or concerns, or become aware of a violation or potential

 

violation of the Code or the Standard of Conduct, you are required to

 

report the matter to one of the following:

 

n    The Global CCO and/or Designated Officer

 

n    General Counsel or

 

n    a member of the    Ethics Committee

 

The Global CCO will receive reports on all violations of the Code reported

 

to a Designated Officer and/or a member of the Ethics Committee.

 

You have the option of reporting compliance-related matters on a

 

confidential basis through the Compliance Reporting System ("CRS"),

 

or by email at  Compliance@dimensional.com .

 

Retaliation against any employee for reporting compliance-related issues is

 

cause for appropriate corrective action up to and including termination of

 

the retaliating employee.

 

General Code or Standard of Conduct questions should be directed to your

 

local Compliance Team members.

 

Certification Requirements

 

You are required to complete a Code of Ethics and Standard of Conduct

 

Acknowledgement Form upon commencement of your employment with

 

Dimensional, and annually thereafter, to acknowledge and certify that you

 

have received, reviewed, understand and shall comply with the Code and

 

the Standard of Conduct. In addition, any material amendments to the

 

Code or the Standard of Conduct will be communicated to you and you

 

will be required to acknowledge your receipt and understanding of any

 

such amendments as a condition of your continued employment.

 

Sanctions

 

Depending on the severity of the infraction, you may be subject to

 

sanctions for violating the Code and related personal trading controls

 

(e.g., failure to pre-clear transactions, report accounts, and submit

 

statements and/or initial, quarterly and annual certification forms) or the

 

Standard of Conduct. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to:

 

n    verbal or written warnings,

 

n    letters of reprimand,

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

7

INTRODUCTION

n    suspension of personal trading activity,

 

n    disgorgement and forfeiture of profits,

 

n    suspension, and/or

 

n    termination of employment

 

Immaterial violations will be communicated to your supervisor, Department

 

Head, and the Global CCO for corrective action. Material violations will be

 

escalated to the Ethics Committee and may be subsequently reported to the

 

Boards of Directors of the Dimensional Entities, as well as the directors/

 

trustees of the Dimensional Managed Funds, as required, or other persons

 

or entities as determined by one or more of the Dimensional Entities in their

 

sole discretion.

Code of Ethics

Who is subject to the Code?

The Code applies to all Dimensional employees, directors/trustees, officers and general partners, all of whom are considered Access Persons. In addition, certain provisions of the Code apply to Immediate Family Member(s) living in the same household.

Restrictions on personal investment transactions may also be applied to temporary personnel (i.e., interns, contractors or consultants) whose tenure exceeds ninety (90) days and/or who have access to nonpublic systems.

Covered Accounts

You are required to report all investment accounts (i.e., Covered Accounts) with which you, your spouse, domestic partner, child or any other Immediate Family Member have Beneficial Ownership or interests.

Covered Securities

Brokerage Accounts

Discretionary Accounts1

 

 

Employee Stock

Retirement Accounts

Compensation Plans

(IRAs or local equivalent)

 

 

Transfer Agent Accounts

Mutual Fund Accounts

(such as a Computershare account)

(i.e., collective investment schemes)

 

 

Wrap Accounts

UTMAs or UGMAs

 

 

Code of Ethics, Insider

529 Accounts, in which

Trading and Compliance

you direct investments in

Manual Acknowledegments

Dimensional Managed Funds

 

 

1. Discretionary Accounts must be disclosed and supporting documentation must be provided to Compliance.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

9

 

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Other Covered Securities

 

 

 

Contract for Difference Accounts

Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPPs)

 

 

 

 

(CDAs) (UK-specific)

and Stock & Shares ISAs (UK-specific)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Superannuation Accounts

Nippon (Japan) Individual Savings

 

 

(managed, SMSF or Super Wrap)

Account (NISA) (Japan-specific)

 

 

(Australia-specific)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local supplementary or mandatory provident funds or retirement schemes

 

 

(i.e., CPF accounts in Singapore; MPF accounts in Hong Kong)

 

 

 

 

New Accounts

You must promptly report any new Covered Account for yourself, your spouse, domestic partner, child or any other Immediate Family Member. Unless the Account has been reported, no personal securities transactions can occur within the Account.

The U.S. Compliance Team will send a standard letter to U.S. broker- dealer(s) or bank(s), requesting duplicate statements and confirmations. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that duplicate statements and confirmations (or the local equivalent) are provided promptly. Confirmations should be provided within ten (10) calendar days.

Authorized Brokerage Firms – U.S. Employees and U.S. Persons

Subject to the Code

You are required to maintain your Covered Account(s) with an Authorized Brokerage Firm. A list of Authorized Brokerage Firms, which is subject to change from time to time, is included in Appendix A. Exceptions must be approved by the Global CCO or Designated Officer. However, if you began your employment on or before August 15, 2019, and maintained one or more Covered Accounts with a brokerage firm other than an Authorized Brokerage Firm on that date, you may continue to maintain those previously reported and approved Covered Accounts.

In addition, the following types of accounts do not need to be maintained with an Authorized Brokerage Firm: mutual fund accounts, 529 accounts, 401(k) accounts, and accounts held directly with an issuer. The Global CCO may amend the list of Authorized Brokerage Firms from time to time.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

10

CODE OF ETHICS Non-Reportable Accounts

You do not need to report the following accounts as Compliance has independent access to these records for monitoring and verification purposes:

n    Dimensional 401(k) account (or local equivalent);

n    Dimensional Health Savings Accounts (HSAs);

n    Dimensional Managed Fund accounts established through    Fund Operations; and

n    If applicable, holdings in Dimensional's privately issued shares.

Although these accounts do not need to be reported, investment activities in these accounts must comply with the standards of conduct embodied in the Code.

Personal Securities Transactions

You must pre-clear any personal securities transactions in Covered

Securities prior to execution.2 This also applies to transactions by any

Immediate Family Member of the Access Person.

All personal securities transaction reports and requests for pre-clearance must be processed through Dimensional's compliance reporting system (CRS), a web-based compliance system. Compliance will evaluate and review each pre-clearance transaction request and notification will be provided to employees through the CRS, in a timely manner.

Pre-clearance approval is valid for T+1 (i.e., market orders), from the time of approval. In addition, you are required to provide confirmations (or the local equivalent) for each approved and executed transaction.

Covered Securities

Stocks/Shares

Fixed Income Securities (excluding

(common, preferred or restricted)

certain Sovereign Government issuances)

 

 

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) must

Dimensional Advised or Sub-advised

be pre cleared if the value of the

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) must be

transaction is >$25,000 (USD)

pre-cleared, regardless of the amount

 

of the transaction

 

 

Depository Receipts (ADRs or GDRs)

Closed-End Funds and REITs

 

 

2.Designated Officers (other than the Global CCO) are required to receive prior written approval of their personal securities transactions from

Dimensional's Global CCO. The Global CCO is required to receive prior approval of his personal securities transactions from one of the Dimensional Co-Chief Executive Officers.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

11

CODE OF ETHICS

 

 

 

 

Derivatives

Voluntary Corporate Actions

 

 

 

 

(options, futures, forwards, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Private Placements (documentation

Limited Partnerships and limited

 

 

must be provided)

liability company interests

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warrants & Rights

Convertible Securities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exempt Securities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shares of registered open-end

Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates

 

 

investment companies

of deposit, commercial paper, and high

 

 

(i.e., open-end mutual funds)

quality short-term debt instruments

 

 

 

(including repurchase agreements)

 

 

 

 

Direct obligations of the U.S. Government, or direct obligations of a "Sovereign Government" (e.g., Government of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth Government of Australia, etc.)

Shares issued by a unit investment trust that are invested exclusively in one or more registered open-end investment companies (none of which are Dimensional Managed Funds)

Shares of money market funds

Privately issued shares of the Advisor.

 

 

Private Placements

You may not purchase a private placement unless approved by the Global CCO or Designated Officer. Approval would be based upon a determination that the investment opportunity was not being offered to you due to your employment with Dimensional, along with other relevant factors. Each private placement pre-clearance is reviewed on a case-by- case basis.

Reportable Transactions (transactions which do not require pre- clearance, but must be reported)

Although the following transactions do not require pre-clearance, you must report them through the CRS on a quarterly basis:

n    Dimensional Managed Funds (through a third -party service provider or    financial advisor);

n    Investments in any funds sub-advised by Dimensional;

n    529 Accounts    that hold or are exclusively made up of Dimensional Funds;

n    Automatic Investment Plans (including dividend reinvestment plans) in    which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

12

CODE OF ETHICS

in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined

 

schedule and allocation; and

 

 

n    Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), other than Dimensional-advised or

 

sub-advised ETFs, where the principal value of the transaction is less than

 

or equal to USD $25,000.

 

Please note: Although transactions in ETFs in amounts less than or equal

 

to USD $25,000 do not require pre-clearance, post-trade review will be

 

performed and all other Code provisions will still apply, such as the sixty

 

(60) day profit restriction.

 

Personal Trading Restrictions and Prohibited Activities

 

The following transactions are prohibited:

 

n    Initial public offering (IPO) investments;

 

n    Short selling of securities;

 

n    Transactions in securities that are subject to firmwide restriction; and

 

n    Transactions in a security while in possession of insider information. Such

 

transactions are unethical and illegal and will be dealt with decisively

 

(reference the  Global Insider Trading Policy,  the  EU Market Abuse Policy ,

 

the  Singapore Supplemental Insider Trading Policy,  and the  Japan Insider 

 

 Trading Management Policies ).

 

You are prohibited from executing personal investment transactions with

 

individuals with whom business is being conducted on behalf of certain

 

institutional clients. Therefore, Compliance may request the name of the

 

account contact (or agent) before processing the pre-clearance request.

 

B L A C KO U T P E R I O D R E S T R I C T I O N

 

n    A pre-clearance request involving a covered security will be denied if

 

Dimensional has traded in the same or equivalent security within the past

 

seven (7) calendar days, and the pre-clearance request is in an amount

 

over USD $10,000. Any transaction in a covered security in an amount less

 

than or equal to USD $10,000 still must be pre-cleared and reported, with

 

the exception that transactions in ETFs not managed by Dimensional only

 

require pre-clearance if the transactions are in an amount greater than

 

USD $25,000.

 

n    Compliance will monitor trading activity for seven (7) calendar days

 

following the pre-clearance approval date for conflicts of interest on

 

non-Discretionary Accounts.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

13

CODE OF ETHICS

S H O R T - T E R M T R A D I N G R E S T R I C T I O N S

 

n    Access Persons cannot profit from the purchase and sale (or sale

 

and    purchase) of the same or equivalent security within sixty (60) calendar

 

days.

 

n    Gains are calculated based on a last-in, first-out (LIFO) method.

 

E X C E S S I V E T R A D I N G I N C O V E R E D S E C U R I T I E S

 

Dimensional discourages employees from engaging in excessive trading

 

activity. Compliance has the discretion to notify you and/or an appropriate

 

supervisor of excessive trading patterns if circumstances warrant.

 

E X C E S S I V E T R A D I N G O F D I M E N S I O N A L M A N A G E D F U N D S

 

Employees are prohibited from engaging in excessive trading of any

 

Dimensional Managed Funds in order to take advantage of short-term

 

market movements. Excessive trading activity, such as a frequent

 

pattern of exchanges, could result in harm to shareholders or clients.

 

E T F S F O R W H I C H D I M E N S I O N A L S E R V E S A S A D V I S O R O R S U B A D V I S O R

 

Employees with knowledge of the composition of the underlying ETF

 

constituents are prohibited from using such information or from disclosing

 

such information to any other person, except as authorized in the course

 

of their employment, until such information is made public.

 

C R Y P T O C U R R E N C I E S

 

When seeking to acquire a digital currency, either directly or in the form of a

 

security, please be aware of the following:

 

n If you purchase or sell a digital currency considered to be a "security"

 

within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws (or any other

 

applicable laws for non-U.S. personnel), you need to pre-clear the

 

transaction just as you would any other Covered Security. Likewise,

 

if you purchase or sell a fund or other instrument that invests in a digital

 

currency (e.g., Bitcoin Investment Trust ("GBTC")), you need to pre-clear

 

the transaction just as you would any other covered security.

 

n As with any initial public offering (IPO), your participation in an Initial Coin

 

Offering or Initial Token Offering (ICO), is not permitted under the Code.

 

n Holding or transacting in actual cryptocurrency that has been

 

determined not to constitute a security within the meaning of the U.S.

 

federal securities laws (or any other applicable laws for non-U.S.

 

personnel), including holding or transacting in Bitcoin or Ethereum, does

 

not require pre-clearance or reporting to Compliance.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

14

CODE OF ETHICS

E X C E P T I O N S T O C O D E R E S T R I C T I O N S

In cases of hardship, the Global CCO or Designated Officer may grant an exception (or waiver) to the personal trading restrictions of the Code. The decision will be based on a determination that a hardship exists and the transaction for which the exception (or waiver) is requested would not result in a conflict with our clients' interests or violate any other policy embodied in the Code. Any exception (or waiver) will be evidenced in writing and will be reported to the Ethics Committee.

Reporting Requirements

All personal securities transactions and holdings reports will be reviewed by Compliance. The records and reports created or maintained pursuant to the Code are intended solely for internal use and are confidential unless required to be disclosed to a regulatory or governmental agency.

New employees who fail to submit their Compliance New Hire Questionnaire and Initial Holdings Report within ten (10) calendar days of their employment start date will be prohibited from engaging in any personal securities transaction until such report is submitted and may be subject to other sanctions.

Summary of Reporting Obligations

New Hires

All Employees

Upon joining the firm

Quarterly and Annually

(Due 30 calendar days after

(Due in 10 calendar days)

each quarter)

 

 

 

New Hire Questionnaire

Quarterly and Annual

(Disciplinary Action Disclosure)

Compliance Questionnaires

 

 

Initial Holdings Report

Quarterly Transaction Reports and

(include private placements)

Annual Holdings Certification

 

 

Provide Covered Account

Covered Account(s) Certification;

statement(s) (current, within

report new accounts upon opening.

45 days prior to start date)

 

 

 

Code of Ethics, Insider Trading

Code of Ethics, Insider Trading

and Compliance

and Compliance

Manual Acknowledegments

Manual Acknowledgements

 

 

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

15

CODE OF ETHICS Communications with Disinterested Trustees and Outside Directors

Dimensional attempts to keep directors/trustees informed with respect to Dimensional's investment activities through reports and other information provided to them in connection with board meetings and other events.

However, it is Dimensional's policy not to communicate specific trading information and/or advice on specific issues to Disinterested Trustees and Outside Directors unless the proposed transaction presents issues on which input from the Disinterested Trustees or Outside Directors is appropriate (i.e., no information is given regarding securities for which current activity is being considered for clients). Any information requests by Disinterested Trustees or Outside Directors should be reported to the General Counsel or the Global CCO.

Disinterested Trustees are not subject to the reporting requirements except to the extent the Disinterested Trustee knew or, in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her duties as a director, should have known that during the fifteen (15) days immediately before or after the Disinterested Trustee's transaction in a Covered Security, a U.S. Mutual Fund purchased or sold the covered security, or an Advisor considered purchasing or selling the covered security for a U.S. Mutual Fund.

Japan Supplement

Pursuant to local rules and regulations, Japanese employees have additional restrictions on personal trading (see the Japanese Code of Ethics Addendum ) .

Standard of Conduct

This Standard of Conduct is designed to foster compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and to require that employees act in a manner that is consistent with the highest ethical standards. Adherence to the Standard of Conduct is a basic condition of employment. Whether or not a specific situation is addressed below, you must conduct yourself in accordance with the general principles of the Standard of Conduct and in a manner that is designed to avoid unlawful conflicts of interest. Failure to comply could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Outside Activities

Certain types of outside business activities may cause a conflict of interest or an appearance of a conflict of interest. There is no absolute prohibition on a Dimensional employee participating in certain outside activities, such as charitable foundations and endowments, provided your participation does not present a conflict of interest and you comply with the Standard of Conduct. However, as a practical matter there may be circumstances in which it would not be in Dimensional's best interest to allow an employee to participate in activities with an outside organization, even if the employee's participation did not violate Dimensional's policies and procedures (such as whether the activity would absorb a good part of the employee's time, potentially affecting their performance at Dimensional).

It is impossible to anticipate every conflict of interest that may arise, but activities with outside organizations should be limited to those that either do not present or have the least potential of presenting conflicts of interest. As a result, Dimensional requires that outside business and charitable activities must be approved by your supervisor and Compliance prior to the acceptance of such a position (or if you are new, upon joining the firm).

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

17

STANDARD OF CONDUCT Guidelines

S E R V I N G O N T H E B O A R D S O F P U B L I C C O M PA N I E S

n    As a general matter, directorship or (an equivalent position) in an    unaffiliated public company (or companies reasonable expected to become public companies) will not be authorized because of the potential conflicts.

n    If you wish to accept a directorship or (an equivalent position), you must    obtain prior approval from the Boards of Directors of the Dimensional Entities in which you are an employee and/or an officer.

A C T I V I T I E S W I T H A P R I V A T E O R G A N I Z A T I O N

n    If you wish to be involved with a private organization (non-Dimensional)    in an official capacity (officer, directorship or an equivalent position), you must obtain approval from the Co-CEOs and the Global CCO.

A C T I V I T I E S W I T H A N O N - P R O F I T O R G A N I Z A T I O N

n    If you wish to be involved with a non-profit organization in an official    capacity (directorship or an equivalent position), you must notify Compliance in writing as further approval may be required.

C O M P E N S A T I O N

n    If you receive compensation from an outside organization, you must    obtain prior written approval from your supervisor and Compliance.

Approval Process

Outside activity requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and approval will be granted only if it is determined that the activity does not present a significant conflict of interest. Obtain written approval from your supervisor with the activity details and copy your local Compliance Team designee(s). If any additional information is required, Compliance will reach out to you.

In instances where you receive authorization to serve as a director on an outside organization, you are expected to refrain from any direct (or indirect) involvement in the consideration by a Dimensional client of any purchase or sale for securities of that outside organization (or any affiliates of the outside organization) for which you serve as a director.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

18

STANDARD OF CONDUCT

Gifts And Business Entertainment

If you accept or provide gifts or entertainment (including business entertainment) relating to Dimensional business, you must comply with regulatory requirements, Dimensional's business practices, and the Standard of Conduct. The giving (or accepting) of gifts and entertainment may create (or appear to create) a conflict of interest and place Dimensional or a client in a difficult or embarrassing position. Therefore, embarrassing gifts should never be given (or accepted), and you always should use your best judgment when giving (or accepting) any gift or entertainment to determine whether it is appropriate.

Under certain circumstances, Section 17(e)(1) of the 1940 Act may prohibit Dimensional's Fund Advisory Personnel from accepting gifts and entertainment from Broker Donors. Accordingly, Dimensional has adopted additional restrictions that apply when Broker Donors offer gifts and entertainment to Authorized Traders. If you are a member of Fund Advisory Personnel, you must comply with these additional restrictions.

Gifts

In general, you may give (or accept) gifts that do not exceed the annual aggregate amount of USD $100 (or the local currency equivalent). However, you must be mindful that some clients (or prospective clients) may be subject to additional regulatory restrictions or prohibitions on the acceptance of gifts or entertainment and may have to comply with related disclosure requirements. Therefore, you should inquire about any restrictions or disclosure requirements, prior to giving any gifts (or providing business entertainment). The giving (or accepting) of all Gifts and Business Entertainment must be reported and logged promptly. Please contact a member of your local Compliance Team for reporting details.  ( U.S. employees refer to the designee(s) list on Be.Dimensional.)

Gifts include logo items (e.g., pens, hats, etc.), tickets for events, gift baskets, meals and transportation.

This policy does not apply to gifts or charitable donations made by you outside the scope of your responsibilities with Dimensional.

G I F T R E S T R I C T I O N S

n

n

You may not give (or accept) gifts in excess of USD $100 (or the local currency equivalent).

You may not give (or accept) gifts in the form of cash or cash equivalents.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

19

STANDARD OF CONDUCT n    Gifts valued in excess of USD $100 must be reported to Compliance and returned unless an exception is granted by the Global CCO or Compliance Designee.

n    No exceptions will be granted for gifts subject to FINRA's USD $100    gift limit.

If you are a member of Fund Advisory Personnel, you must also comply with the following restrictions:

n    You may not accept any gifts from Broker Donors except gifts of de    minimis value, such as non-lavish, logoed items or gifts of less than USD $25 in reasonably estimated value. If you have a long-standing personal relationship with a Broker Donor, you may attend a non- business, social event hosted by the Broker Donor, or accept a non-de minimis gift or entertainment greater in value than USD $25 from the Broker Donor if the event, gift, or entertainment is pre-approved first by your supervisor and then Compliance. You must report all gifts from Broker Donors regardless of value.

Business Entertainment

Business entertainment includes any event, meal or activity whose primary purpose is business and is offered by and attended by a person who

has (either directly or through their employer or affiliate) a current or prospective business relationship with Dimensional. This also includes instances where a Dimensional employee is offering the event, meal or activity on behalf of a current or prospective Dimensional client or vendor. If the person (or entity) paying for the entertainment does not have a representative in attendance, the event constitutes as a gift and is subject to the gift restrictions above.

P R O V I D I N G B U S I N E S S E N T E R TA I N M E N T

You may provide business entertainment as long as it is appropriate and reported in writing to your supervisor. Business entertainment provided to a current or a prospective client or vendor will be overseen by your supervisor through the Dimensional expense reporting and approval process. If the business entertainment exceeds USD $100 per person, you will need to provide to your supervisor a written explanation along with the name of the client, business vendor or organization.

R E C E I V I N G B U S I N E S S E N T E R TA I N M E N T

You may receive business entertainment as long as it is appropriate and reported in writing to your supervisor. If the estimated value of the business entertainment you receive is expected to exceed USD $100 per person,

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

20

STANDARD OF CONDUCT you will need to report the event in writing to the head of your department. The following types of business entertainment require pre-approval by your department head:

n    Attending business-related events with an expected value in excess of USD $100 per person (or the local equivalent);

n    Meals or events in which family members or friends are present; and

n    Attending meals or events in which five (5) or more Dimensional employees are in attendance.

If you are a member of Fund Advisory Personnel, you must also comply with the following restrictions:

n    You may not accept entertainment (such as sporting events) from Broker Donors. You may accept business meals from Broker Donors of less than USD $100 in anticipated value, and you must report those meals to your supervisor and Compliance. You may accept business meals from Broker Donors of greater than USD $100 in anticipated value provided you first pre-clear the meal with your supervisor and Compliance.

U N I O N S A N D U N I O N O F F I C I A L S

Special reporting rules apply when Dimensional employees furnish any gift or entertainment in excess of USD $250 in any calendar year to labor unions, union officials, agents or consultants of a Taft-Hartley plan. Please report all gifts or entertainment involving a union or union official to either Legal or Compliance. If applicable, Legal will be responsible for filing the required LM-10 form with the Department of Labor.

S U P P L E M E N TA L P O L I C I E S

n     Japan Addendum to Gift and Entertainment     

Political Contributions

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's political contribution regulation and FINRA's Rule 2030, also known as "pay to play" rules3, limit contributions4 by investment advisers and certain of their employees to certain Covered Government Officials. In addition, Dimensional is subject to a variety of federal, state and local restrictions regarding political contributions, as well as contractual restrictions between Dimensional and certain clients.

3.Political Contributions by Certain Investment Advisors, Rule 206(4)-5; Engaging in Distribution and Solicitation Activities with Government Entities, FINRA Rule 2030.

4.Contributions include, but are not limited to, monetary contributions, gifts and loans (including in-kind contributions, such as donation of goods or services).

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

21

STANDARD OF CONDUCT Although Dimensional encourages civic and community involvement by its directors, officers and employees, Dimensional desires to avoid any situation that could curtail Dimensional's current business or business prospects, raise potential or actual conflicts of interest, or create an appearance

of impropriety in the context of Dimensional's business relationships. Accordingly, all contributions by a director, officer, employee or Immediate Family Member of a director, officer or employee of Dimensional (each a "Contributor"), must be made on the Contributor's behalf, entirely voluntary, and should not be in an amount (determined by Contributor taking into account the Code) that is likely to influence a candidate's judgment regarding any continued or future business with Dimensional.

Specifically, this policy prohibits a Contributor from making political contributions when the solicitation or request for such contributions implies that continued or future business with Dimensional depends on making such contributions. Similarly, no contributions should be made that create the appearance that Dimensional stands to benefit in its business relations because of the Contributor's contribution. If a Contributor is unsure if a particular political contribution would be in compliance with this policy, they should consult Dimensional's U.S. Legal and/or Compliance Department.

More specifically, the following actions are prohibited:

n    Contributors are prohibited from making political or charitable contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining potential or existing public entity clients;

n    Contributors are prohibited from making any contributions that create the appearance that Dimensional stands to benefit in its business relations because of such contribution; and

n    Contributors from Dimensional's non-U.S. based advisor affiliates are prohibited from making any political contributions to political action committees (PACs) federal, state or local candidates for elective office in the United States.

In order to prevent an inadvertent violation of the "pay to play" rules, Contributors are prohibited from making political contributions without prior approval from the Global CCO or DCCO to any of the following:

n Covered Government Officials

n Political action committees (PACs)

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

22

STANDARD OF CONDUCT Requests for approval of political contributions must be submitted through the CRS and cannot exceed Federal, state or client limitations. Dimensional's Compliance Department will be responsible for maintaining the required books and records associated with employee political contributions to ensure the reports are kept confidential. In addition, Dimensional's Global CCO or a Chief Executive Officer may grant exceptions to the contribution limitation on a case-by-case basis. Violations of this policy will not necessarily be deemed to be violations of the "pay to play" rules; all violations of this policy will be discussed by Dimensional's Global Legal and Compliance Officers in making that determination. If you have any questions about the policy, please contact the U.S. Legal and/or Compliance Department.

Other Policy Highlights

Policy Against Bribery and Corruption

Dimensional employees are prohibited from giving, offering or promising anything of value to a foreign official with the intent to improperly obtain or retain any business or any other advantage.

For a full explanation of the policy, please refer to the Bribery and

Corruption Policy and the supplemental policies for the following:

n     Anti-Corruption   Policy (U.K.)     

Privacy Policies

You should be aware of your local privacy policies, Dimensional Privacy Policy and Procedures ,  Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd. ,  Australian Privacy Policy Statement, relevant Irish Privacy Policy and Notice ,  the Japan Personal Information Protection Policies and the Singapore Privacy Policy .  Information concerning Dimensional's clients that you acquire in connection with your employment at Dimensional is proprietary. As an employee, contractor or consultant you have access to computers, systems and corporate information in order to do your job. This access means that you have an obligation to use these systems responsibly and follow company policies to protect information and systems.

You are prohibited from sending or forwarding sensitive or confidential data to your personal email address.

If you have any general questions about the Standard of Conduct, please contact a member of your local Compliance Team.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

Glossary of Terms

The following definitions apply throughout both the Code and Standard of Conduct:

1940 Act means the Investment Company Act of 1940.

529 Account(s) (or 529 Plans) means accounts established in a college savings or other plan authorized under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. A list of all 529 Plans that have the ability to hold Dimensional Managed Funds appears on Be.Dimensional and is periodically updated by Compliance.

Access Person means:

n

n

n

n

n

any director/trustee, officer or general partner of the U.S. Mutual Funds or Dimensional Entities;

any officer or director of the Distributor who, in the ordinary course of business, makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of covered securities for any registered investment company for which the Distributor acts as the principal underwriter;

employees of Dimensional who, in connection with their regular functions or duties, make, participate in, or obtain information regarding the purchase or sale of covered securities, or other advisory clients for which the Advisors provide investment advice, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales;

any natural persons in a control relationship with one or more of the U.S. Mutual Funds or Advisors who obtain information concerning recommendations made to such U.S. Mutual Funds or other advisory clients with regard to the purchase or sale of covered securities, or whose functions or duties, as part of the ordinary course of their business, relate to the making of any recommendation to U.S. Mutual Funds or advisory clients regarding the purchase or sale of covered securities; and

any Supervised Person (which may include contractors or consultants) who has access to nonpublic information regarding client securities transactions, research or portfolio holdings of any Dimensional Managed Funds.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

24

GLOSSARY OF TERMS Advisers Act means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Advisor means Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, DFA Australia Limited,

Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd., Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada

ULC, Dimensional Fund Advisors Pte. Ltd., Dimensional Japan Ltd. and

Dimensional Ireland Limited.

Authorized Brokerage Firms for U.S. employees and other U.S. persons subject to the Code are listed on Appendix A.

Beneficial Ownership means the employee has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the securities held in an account. Employees have pecuniary interest in securities if they have the ability to directly or indirectly profit from a securities transaction. It is presumed that you have beneficial ownership interests in any account held individually or jointly, by you or by your Immediate Family Member or domestic partner (or an unrelated adult with whom you share your home and contribute to each other's support) including but not limited to family trusts and family partnerships (Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 16a-1; 17 CFR 240.16a-1).

Broker Donors means broker-dealers or similar financial intermediaries and their employees, officers, directors, and other representatives.

Covered Account includes any broker-dealer, investment adviser, bank or other financial institutions in which an Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held or the account has the ability to hold securities for the direct or indirect benefit of such Access Person.

Covered Government Official means any person who is, at the time of the contribution, an incumbent or a candidate for state or local government office (including any candidate for a federal office currently holding a state or local office).

Designated Officer means the Global Chief Compliance Officer or any employee from the Dimensional Entities designated by the Global CCO.

Dimensional means (i) DFA Investment Dimensions Group Inc., The

DFA Investment Trust Company, Dimensional Emerging Markets Value

Fund and Dimensional Investment Group Inc. (collectively, the "U.S.

Mutual Funds"), (ii) Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, Dimensional

Investment LLC, DFA Australia Limited, Dimensional Fund Advisors Ltd.,

Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada ULC, Dimensional Retirement Plan

Services LLC, Dimensional Fund Advisors Pte. Ltd., Dimensional Japan

Ltd., and Dimensional Hong Kong Limited, and Dimensional Ireland

Limited (collectively, the "Dimensional Entities"); and (iii) DFA Securities

LLC (the "Distributor").

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

25

GLOSSARY OF TERMS Dimensional Managed Funds means any series/portfolio of the U.S. Mutual Funds or any other fund advised by or sub-advised by any of the Advisors.

Discretionary Account means a personal account in which you have completely turned over decision-making authority to a professional money manager (who is not an Immediate Family Member or not otherwise covered by the Code) and you have no direct or indirect influence or control over the account. Such accounts are often referred to as "professionally managed" or "managed accounts."

Disinterested Trustee means a director/trustee of the U.S. Mutual Funds who is not considered to be an "interested person" of the U.S. Mutual Funds within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19)(A) of the 1940 Act.

Ethics Committee means the Ethics Committee appointed by the directors/ trustees of the Dimensional Entities and consists of the certain officers of Dimensional Fund Advisors LP , including the Co-Chief Executive Officers, General Counsel, Head of Portfolio Management, Head of Global Human Resources, Global Chief Compliance Officer and subject to change from time to time.

Fund Advisory Personnel means those persons whose names appear on the effective list of Authorized Traders kept by Dimensional.

Immediate Family Member of an employee means any of the following person(s) sharing the same household with the employee:

n    spouse, civil union or domestic partner, child, stepchild, grandchild,    parent, stepparent, grandparent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in- law, adoptive relationships and legal guardianships;

n    someone who holds account(s) in which the employee is a joint owner,    has trading authority, or Beneficial Ownership; and/or

n    someone for whom the employee contributes to the maintenance of the    household and the financial support of such person.

Outside Director means a director of any Advisor who is not considered to be an "interested person" of the Advisor within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19)(B) of the 1940 Act, provided that a director shall not be considered interested for purposes of the Code by virtue of being a director or knowingly having a direct or indirect beneficial interest in the securities

of the Advisor if such ownership interest does not exceed five percent (5%) of the outstanding voting securities of such Advisor.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

26

GLOSSARY OF TERMS SEC Rules means rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") including, but not limited to, Rule 206(4)-5 and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, and Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act.

Supervised Person means any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of Dimensional, or other person who provides (i) investment advice on behalf of an Advisor and (ii) is subject to the supervision and control of the Advisor with respect to activities that are subject to the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act.

DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

Appendix A –

List of Authorized Brokerage Firms

The following Authorized Brokerage Firms, which are subject to change from time to time, are approved for U.S. employees and U.S. persons subject to the Code:

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

Ameriprise

Betterment

Edward Jones

Charles Schwab

E*Trade

Fidelity

Merrill Lynch

Morgan Stanley

Raymond James

TD Ameritrade

USAA

Vanguard

Wells Fargo

Disclosure

MKT-3914 10/19

Code of Ethics for JPMAM

Last Revision Date: December 13, 2019

Last Review Date: December 13, 2019

Effective Date: 02/01/2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.

Summary .......................................................................................................................................

3

2.

Amendments to Previous Version Distributed January 30, 2019..................................................

4

3.

Scope ............................................................................................................................................

4

4.

Reporting Requirements................................................................................................................

4

 

4.1.

Holdings Reports..................................................................................................................

4

 

4.2.

Transaction Reports.............................................................................................................

5

 

4.3

Exceptions from Transaction Reporting Requirements .......................................................

5

5.

Personal Trading Requirements....................................................................................................

6

 

5.1

Approved Broker Requirement ............................................................................................

6

 

5.2

Blackout Provisions..............................................................................................................

6

 

5.3

Minimum Investment Holding Period and Market Timing Prohibition ..................................

6

 

5.4

Trade Reversals and Disciplinary Action .............................................................................

7

6.

Books and Records to be maintained by Investment Advisers .....................................................

7

7.

Privacy ...........................................................................................................................................

7

8.

Anti-Corruption ..............................................................................................................................

8

9.

Conflicts of Interest........................................................................................................................

8

 

9.1

Trading in Securities of Clients ............................................................................................

8

 

9.2

Trading in Securities of Suppliers ........................................................................................

8

 

9.3

Pre-clearance Procedures for Value-Added Investors ........................................................

8

 

9.4

Gifts & Entertainment ...........................................................................................................

9

 

9.5

Political Contributions and Activities ..................................................................................

10

 

9.6

Charitable Contributions ....................................................................................................

11

 

9.7

Outside Business Activities................................................................................................

11

10.

Training .......................................................................................................................................

11

11.

Escalation Guidelines .................................................................................................................

12

 

11.1 Violation Prior to Material Violation ...................................................................................

12

 

11.2

Material Violations.............................................................................................................

12

12.

Defined Terms .............................................................................................................................

12

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1. Summary

This Code of Ethics for JPMorgan Asset Management ("JPMAM") (the "Code") has been adopted by the registered investment advisers of JPMAM in accordance with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act"). Rule 204A-1 requires an investment adviser registered under Section 203 of the Advisers Act to establish, maintain and enforce a written Code of Ethics.

This Code establishes our standards for ethical conduct which are premised on fundamental principles of openness, integrity, honesty and trust. In addition to the Code, J.P. Morgan Chase has a firmwide Code of Conduct that applies to all employees globally, including all JPMAM employees. In the event that a difference exists between any of the standards identified in the JPMC Code of Conduct and the Code, the more restrictive provision shall apply.

JPMAM hereby adopts the message from Jamie Dimon that was included in the JPMC Code of Conduct because it embodies JPMAM's ethical standards:

"JPMorgan Chase is the respected company it is today because of our commitment to being accountable, straightforward and honest in all of our business dealings. Our people, our products and services, and our enduring dedication to integrity have made us one of the largest and most respected financial institutions in the world. It is paramount for us all — not only as a company, but also as culture carriers — to uphold that mission each and every day.

Our Code of Conduct reflects this shared obligation. We operate with the highest level of integrity and ethical conduct, at all times. We do the right thing — even when it's not the easy thing. We have zero tolerance for unethical behavior. And, we abide by the letter of the laws and regulations everywhere we do business.

It also is important for each of us to speak up when we see something that doesn't look or feel right. We all share this responsibility, which is key to preserving and building on this proud heritage. If you know of a possible violation of the Code or other improper behavior, report it.

The Code of Conduct is a valuable resource as we continue to meet our obligations to all of our constituents — customers, the Board, shareholders, regulators — and ourselves.

As a company, we're only as good as our people, and our people are the best. Remember, our integrity begins with you."

Additionally, it is the duty of all Supervised Persons to act in the best interests of their clients, place the interests of JPMAM Clients before their own personal interests at all times and to avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest. Supervised Persons are the officers, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions or employees of JPMAM) or any other person who provides investment advice on JPMAM's behalf and is subject to JPMAM's supervision or control.

Supervised Persons must comply with applicable Federal Securities Laws and promptly report any known or suspected violations of the Code promptly to the Compliance Department or Code of Conduct Reporting Hotline, which shall report any such violation promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") of the applicable legal entity, or through the various reporting channels as provided in the How To Report A Violation page of the Code of Conduct intranet site. Your reporting obligations do not prevent you from reporting to the government or regulators conduct that you believe to be in violation of law and it does not require you to notify JPMAM prior to reporting to the government or regulators. JPMAM

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strictly prohibits intimidation or retaliation against anyone who makes a good faith report about a known or suspected violation of the Code or any law or regulation.

Compliance with the Code, and other applicable policies and procedures, is a condition of employment. The rules, procedures, reporting and recordkeeping requirements set forth in the Code are hereby adopted and certified as reasonably necessary to prevent Supervised Persons from violating the provisions of the Code and applicable Federal Securities Rules.

The Compliance Department provides a link to this Code and any amendments to all Supervised Persons in their Access Persons Report and requires their attestation of compliance with this Code at least annually. These records are maintained by the Compliance Department as part of its Books and Records as required by the Advisers Act.

Annually, the CCO of each registered investment adviser must review that the Code adequately reflects the adviser's fiduciary obligations and those of its Supervised Persons.

2.Amendments to Previous Version Distributed January 30, 2019

Updated Summary to include Jamie Dimon's 2019 message;

Updated Section 9.4 on gifts and entertainment to more closely align with the Gifts and Entertainment Policy – AM Global; and

Updated Section 12 to include name change of JF Asset Management Limited to JPMorgan (Asia Pacific) Ltd.

3.Scope

This Code applies to all Supervised Persons of JPMAM.

4.Reporting Requirements

4.1.Holdings Reports

Access Persons must submit holdings reports to the Compliance Department documenting current securities holdings:

a)Content of Holdings Reports

Each holdings report must contain, at a minimum:

1)Account Details

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains a Covered Account in which any Reportable Securities are held for the Access Person's direct or indirect benefit as well as all pertinent Covered Account details (e.g., account title, account number.).

2)Account Statements

The title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership.

3)Submission Date

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The date the Access Person submits the report to the Compliance

Department.

b)Submission of Holdings Reports

Access Persons must submit both an Initial and Annual holdings report:

1)Initial Report

Must be submitted no later than 10 days after the person becomes an Access Person and the information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

2)Annual Report

Must be submitted at least once each 12-month period thereafter on or before January 30, and the information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the report was submitted, unless notified by Compliance that this is no longer required due to electronic position reporting received from Approved Brokers.

4.2.Transaction Reports

Access Persons must submit to the Compliance Department securities transactions reports on a quarterly basis, in the form designated by the Compliance Department. Securities transaction reports must meet the following requirements:

a)Content of Transaction Reports

Each transaction report must contain, at a minimum, the following information about each transaction involving a Reportable Security in which the Access Person had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

1)The date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;

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

3)The price of the security at which the transaction was effected;

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

5)The date the Access Person submits the report to the Compliance Department.

b)Timing of Transaction Reports

Each Access Person must submit a transaction report no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, which report must cover, at a minimum, all transactions during the quarter.

4.3Exceptions from Transaction Reporting Requirements An Access Person need not submit:

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a)Any report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control;

b)A transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan;

c)Transaction Reports are not required for accounts maintained at Approved or Preferred Brokers or for accounts which are approved for statement tracking

d)Any report with respect to transactions in Reportable Funds.

5. Personal Trading Requirements

Supervised Persons must obtain approval from the Compliance Department before directly or indirectly acquiring Beneficial Ownership in any Reportable Security, including initial public offerings and limited offerings. Given the potential access to Proprietary and Client information that Supervised Persons may have, JPMAM and its Supervised Persons must avoid even the appearance of impropriety with respect to personal trading, which must be oriented toward investment rather than short-term or speculative trading. JPMAM's policies are designed to help prevent and detect violations of securities laws and industry conduct standards and to minimize actual or perceived conflicts of interest that could arise due to personal investing activities.

5.1Approved Broker Requirement

All self-directed Associated Accounts must be maintained with a JPMC Approved Broker. (Click on the attached link above for list of approved brokers)

5.2Blackout Provisions

The personal trading and investment activities of Supervised Persons are subject to particular scrutiny due to the fiduciary nature of the business. Specifically, JPMAM must avoid even the appearance that its Supervised Persons conduct personal transactions in a manner that conflicts with the firm's investment activities on behalf of Clients. Accordingly, certain Supervised Persons are restricted from conducting personal investment transactions during certain periods (called "Blackout Periods"), and may be instructed to reverse previously completed personal investment transactions. Additionally, the Compliance Department may restrict the personal trading activity of any Supervised Person if it is determined that such activity has the appearance of a conflict of interest.

These Blackout Periods apply varying levels of restrictions appropriate for different categories of Supervised Persons based upon their level of access to non-public Client or Proprietary information.

5.3Minimum Investment Holding Period and Market Timing Prohibition

Supervised Persons are subject to a minimum holding period, generally 60 days, for all transactions in Reportable Securities. For Reportable Funds, only named Portfolio Managers of such funds are subject to a minimum holding period.

Supervised Persons are not permitted to conduct transactions for the purpose of market timing in any Reportable Security or Reportable Fund. Market timing is defined as an investment strategy using frequent purchases, redemptions, and/or exchanges in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements.

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5.4Trade Reversals and Disciplinary Action

Transactions by Supervised Persons are subject to reversal due to a conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with the firm's fiduciary responsibility or a violation of the firm policy. Such a reversal may be required even for a pre-cleared transaction that results in an inadvertent conflict or a breach of blackout period requirements.

Disciplinary actions resulting from a violation of the Code will be administered in accordance with related JPMAM guidelines governing disciplinary action and escalation. All violations and disciplinary actions will be reported promptly by the Compliance Department to the employee's group head and senior management. Violations will be reported quarterly to the affected Fund's Board of Directors.

Violations by Supervised Persons of the Code, the JPMC Code of Conduct or any laws or regulations that relate to JPMAM's operation of its business or any failure to cooperate with an internal investigation may result in disciplinary action, up to and including immediate dismissal, including termination of regulatory registration where applicable.

6. Books and Records to be maintained by Investment Advisers

The Compliance Department is responsible for maintaining books and records, including:

a)A copy of this Code and any other code of ethics adopted by JPMAM pursuant to Rule 204A-1 that is in effect or has been in effect at any time within the past five years;

b)A record of any violation of the Code, and any Compliance action taken as a result of that violation;

c)A record of all written acknowledgments of the violation for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was a Supervised Person of JPMAM;

d)A record of each report made by Access Persons required under the Reporting Requirements;

e)A record of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were Access Persons;

f)A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition or sale of securities by Supervised Persons under section 6. Pre- approval records of certain investments will be maintained for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted; and

g)Any other such record as may be required under the Code.

7.Privacy

Supervised Persons have a responsibility to protect the confidentiality of information related to Clients. This responsibility may be imposed by law, may arise out of agreements with Clients, or may be based on policies or practices adopted by the firm. Certain jurisdictions have regulations relating specifically to the privacy of individuals and/or business and institutional customers. Various business units and geographic areas within JPMC have internal policies regarding customer privacy.

The restriction on disclosing confidential information is not intended to prevent Supervised Persons from reporting to the government or a regulator any conduct Supervised Persons believe to be in violation of the law, or from responding truthfully to questions or requests from the government, a regulator or in a court of law.

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8.Anti-Corruption

It is the policy of JPMC to comply with the anti-corruption laws that apply to the firm's Operations (and investments where the firm is deemed to have control), which laws include the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the United Kingdom Bribery Act of 2010 (UKBA), as well as anti-corruption laws and regulations of other countries in which the firm conducts business. We must never compromise our reputation by engaging in, or appearing to engage in, bribery or any form of corruption. Bribery and corruption are crimes with potentially severe penalties to JPMC and its employees and directors. The firm has zero tolerance for such activity.

9. Conflicts of Interest

The following is a summary of commonly identified employee conflicts of interest:

9.1Trading in Securities of Clients

Supervised Persons shall not transact in any securities of a Client with which the Supervised Person has or recently had significant dealings or responsibility on behalf of JPMAM if such investment could be perceived as effected based on confidential information, including material non-public information.

9.2Trading in Securities of Suppliers

Supervised Persons in possession of information regarding, or directly involved in negotiating, a contract material to a supplier of JPMAM may not invest in the securities of such supplier. If you own the securities of a company with which we are dealing and you are asked to represent JPMorgan Chase in such dealings you must:

a)Disclose this fact to your department head and the Compliance Department; and

b)Obtain prior approval from the Compliance Department before selling such securities.

9.3Pre-clearance Procedures for Value-Added Investors

Prior to any telephone calls, video, and in-person meetings between a Portfolio Manager, or employee arranging the meeting, and a Value-Added Investor who is meeting to discuss his/her personal investment (or prospective investment) in the JPMAM Private Investment Fund managed by the Portfolio Manager, the Portfolio Manager must obtain pre-clearance from Compliance. In order to obtain pre-clearance approval, the following information must be provided to Compliance prior to the meeting:

a)Date and place of meeting;

b)Name of Value-Added Investor, their employer, and job title;

c)Name of private fund the Value-Added Investor is invested in (or may invest in);

d)Names of all J.P. Morgan employees in attendance at the meeting and job titles;

e)Purpose of the meeting.

Compliance will review the pre-clearance request and respond via email and will ensure that appropriate controls are instituted.

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9.4Gifts & Entertainment

Supervised Persons must avoid circumstances that may cause, or create the appearance of, a conflict of interest between JPMAM and its clients or other business/commercial contacts. Supervised Persons may not give or receive anything of value, directly or indirectly, to influence improper action or obtain an improper advantage. Furthermore, the giving and receiving of gifts, including entertainment and hospitality, to or from persons who do or seek to do business with JPMAM have the potential to create actual conflicts or the appearance of conflicts, and may negatively impact JPMAM.

Gifts and entertainment can take many forms, including but not limited to: goods or services for which employees are not required to pay the retail or usual and customary cost; meals or refreshments; tickets to entertainment or sporting events; the use of a residence, vacation home or other accommodation; travel expenses; or charitable contributions or organization sponsorships. In addition to gifts and entertainment, JPMAM Supervised Persons may not make, direct or solicit any other person to make, any political contribution or provide anything else of value to anyone for the purpose of influencing or inducing the awarding or retention of investment advisory services business.

Gifts

Supervised Persons are only permitted to give gifts valued up to 100 USD to a client or business counterparty on occasions when gifts are customary, such as life events and major holidays. AM employees must pre-clear giving any gifts to a client or business counterparty that exceeds 100 USD.

When giving gifts to clients or business counterparties, AM employees are strongly encouraged to give items with a JPMorgan Chase logo or books from the JPMorgan Chase Reading list whenever appropriate. Gifting books from the JPMorgan Chase Reading List are limited to one book per campaign. Repetitive gifting to a client or business counterparty of Firm logo items in a calendar year is not permitted.

Supervised Persons have a 100 USD annual maximum limit for gifts provided to clients or business counterparties.

Entertainment

Entertainment includes business-related activities at which a host and guest are both present (e.g., meals, refreshments, golf games, sporting events, or other leisure and entertainment). Entertainment is considered a prohibited gift unless both the employee and business contact are present and the employee's participation is related to his or her position and duties within JPMAM. Spouses, family members and personal acquaintances should not participate in entertainment activities unless such participation is customary under the circumstances.

Supervised Persons may act as a host for business entertainment to clients and prospects if such entertainment is: (1) business related; (2) is not prohibited by law; and (3) in an amount that is reasonable and customary. Frequent and/or lavish business entertainment is prohibited.

Supervised Persons are limited to accepting $250 in meals and entertainment from a client or counterparty per calendar year, with limited exceptions. Once the $250 limit

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is reached, employees are required to pay for their own expenses. In addition, Supervised Persons are prohibited from accepting invitations to ticketed events; limited exceptions may be granted with pre-approval from senior management and Compliance.

All gifts and entertainment provided to U.S. Government Officials must be pre-cleared by Compliance to ensure that they comply with jurisdictional restrictions.

Supervised Persons must receive written pre-clearance from Compliance before providing any other type of Entertainment to an ERISA Plan Sponsor or Union Official aside from meals that conform to the AWM Expense Procedure (e.g., golf, sporting events, cultural or social events, concerts, leisure activities, etc.)

Supervised Persons are required to log all entertainment subject to reporting into Reliance's Gift and Entertainment Module for approval. Violations are subject to Compliance Violation Framework.

Sponsorships and Events

Both the sponsorship of distributor events and JPMAM hosting educational events for financial advisors who sell our funds are subject to the criteria below and many require the review by Compliance and regional governance committees or designees to meet criteria below.

Events

Events are 30 people or more to build relationships, train/educate attendees on products or services, etc.

Requires an Event Coordinator

Requires 80% training content in an event

Requires client correspondence from distributor home office when per person benefits exceeds $1000

Preclearance thresholds for Compliance vs. recordkeeping

Sponsorship

Requires a Sponsorship Coordinator

Risk based approach to pre-clearing Sponsorships regionally

9.5Political Contributions and Activities

In accordance with Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-5, Supervised Persons are prohibited from making political contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts with government entities.

To ensure compliance with this federal pay-to-play rule and various state and local laws, JPMAM Supervised Persons must receive pre-clearance before they or any members of their household make or solicit political contributions or engage in political activities in connection with any election in the United States or the Republic of Colombia.

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Contributions to JPMC Political Action Committees are excluded from pre-clearance and reporting requirements. New hires must also disclose their history of making and soliciting political contributions.

An employee cannot be reimbursed or otherwise compensated by JPMC for any political contribution. JPMC policies prohibit contributions of corporate funds to candidates, political party committees and political action committees. Supervised Persons are strictly prohibited from using JPMC resources to conduct personal political activities.

Violations of these requirements are subject to the Compliance Violation Framework.

9.6Charitable Contributions

Charitable contributions made on behalf of JPMC must adhere to the requirements of the AM Expense Procedures and be precleared with Compliance.

9.7Outside Business Activities

A Supervised Person's outside activities must not reflect adversely on the firm or give rise to a real or apparent conflict of interest with the Supervised Person's duties to the firm or its Clients. Supervised Persons must be aware of potential conflicts of interest and be aware that they may be asked to discontinue any outside activity if a potential conflict arises. Supervised Persons may not, directly or indirectly:

a)Accept a business opportunity from someone doing business or seeking to do business with JPMAM that is made available to the Supervised Person because of the individual's position with the firm;

b)Take for oneself a business opportunity belonging to the firm;

c)Engage in a business opportunity that competes with any of the firm's businesses.

More specific guidelines are set forth under the JPMC Code of Conduct. Procedures for pre-clearance of Outside Activities and Second Jobs are available on the JPMC Code of Conduct intranet site. Employees are reminded of their responsibility to obtain preclearance of their Outside Business Activities periodically in their Access Persons Report. If any material change in relevant circumstances occurs, Supervised Persons must seek clearance for a previously approved activity. A material change may arise from a change in your job or association with JPMAM or in your role with respect to that activity or organization. JPMAM employees are required to be continually alert to any real or apparent conflicts of interest with respect to investment management activities and promptly disclose any such conflicts to their manager and Compliance. Employees must also notify Compliance when any approved outside activity terminates.

Regardless of whether an activity is specifically addressed under JPMAM policies or the JPMC Code of Conduct, Supervised Persons should disclose any personal interest that might present a conflict of interest or harm the reputation of the firm.

10. Training

Compliance provides in-person and/or online training to Supervised Persons on an ongoing basis. Compliance determines the training topics that will be covered during training sessions based on the work responsibilities of Supervised Persons, applicable regulatory requirements and risk assessments. Compliance may, from time to time, distribute Compliance Bulletins reinforcing or clarifying prior guidance, communicating

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new regulatory developments or the adoption or amendment of policies, procedures or controls.

11. Escalation Guidelines

JPMC's Compliance Violation Framework is an internal Compliance document and is used to notify Group Heads, Managers and/or Human Resources (HR) of employee violations of Compliance Policies along with the assigned severity of the applicable violations.

11.1Violation Prior to Material Violation

While the Group Head is notified of all violations, he/she is required to have a meeting with the employee when the Supervised Persons' next violation would be considered material, in order to stress the importance of the requirement and inform the employee about the ramifications for not following the policy. The employee is also required to acknowledge, in writing (form to be provided by Compliance) that he/she is aware of the ramifications for noncompliance and he/she will be compliant going forward. The written acknowledgement is signed by both the employee and Group Head, and returned to Compliance for record keeping.

11.2Material Violations

All material violations require the Group Head (MD level) and Compliance to have a meeting with the employee and document in writing that the employee acknowledges the material nature of the violation and that he/she will be compliant going forward. The written acknowledgement, signed by the employee and Group Head, will be stored in Compliance's Violations records. Additionally, HR is notified of all material violations and follows their established guidelines for disciplining the employee and recording that event in the employee's personnel file.

There will be a mandated suspension of personal trading privileges for six months for all material violations of the personal trading or Access Persons requirements. Compliance and the Group Head may allow transactions for hardship reasons, but require documentation for pre-clearance.

An employee's receipt of a material violation is considered when determining the employee's annual compensation and eligibility for promotion.

12.Defined Terms

Access Persons Access Persons of JPMAM include:

1)Employees of any of the Registered Investment Advisers within JPMAM.

2)Certain persons of other affiliated entities that have access to Proprietary information of AM and persons that have been identified by Compliance as having access to AM Proprietary information;

3)All persons of entities affiliated with JPMAM that have been authorized by the Office of the Corporate Secretary to act in an official capacity on behalf of the JPMAM Registered Investment Advisers, sometimes referred to as "dual-hatted" employees; or

4)Certain consultants, agents, and temporary workers who are involved in the investment management process or have access to Proprietary information

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Connected Person

Covered Account

Automatic Investment Plan

Beneficial ownership

Client

Federal Securities Laws

Fund

Initial Public

Offering

JPMAM

regarding Client recommendations or transactions on a pre-trade or same-day basis.

Individuals who, based on their relationship with a Supervised Person, are subject to provisions of this Policy including, but not limited to:

The Supervised Persons' spouse, domestic partner or minor children (even if financially independent)

Anyone to whom the Supervised Person provides significant financial support or for which the Supervised Person, or anyone listed above, has or shares the power, directly or indirectly, to make investment decisions

Is an account in the name of or for the direct or indirect benefit of a Supervised Person or a Supervised Person's spouse, domestic partner, minor children and any other person for whom the Supervised Person provides significant financial support, as well as to any other account over which the Supervised Person or any of these other persons exercise investment discretion, regardless of beneficial interest. Excluded from Associated Accounts are any 401(k) and deferred compensation plan accounts for which the Supervised Person has no investment discretion.

Is a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

Is interpreted to mean any interest held directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, or any pecuniary interest in equity securities held or shared directly or indirectly, subject to the terms and conditions set forth under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. A Supervised Person who has questions regarding the definition of this term should consult the Compliance Department. Please note: Any report required under section

5.Reporting Requirements may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

Is any entity (e.g. person, corporation or Fund) for which JPMAM provides a service or has a fiduciary responsibility.

Are the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"), the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999), any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted there under by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

Is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Is an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Is the abbreviation for JPMorgan Asset Management, a marketing name for the Asset Management subsidiaries of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Within the context of this document, JPMAM refers to the following U.S. registered investment advisers of JPMorgan Asset Management:

J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, Inc.

JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Ltd.

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

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Limited Offering

Proprietary

Reportable Fund

Reportable Security

Supervised Persons

Value–Added

Investor

Security Capital Research & Management Inc.

Bear Stearns Asset Management Inc.

JPMorgan Funds Limited

JPMorgan Asset Management (Asia Pacific) Ltd.

Is an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to Rules 504, 505 or 506 there under.

Within the context of this Code of Ethics is:

1)any research conducted by AM or its affiliates

2)any non-public information pertaining to AM or its affiliates

3)all JPM managed and sub-advised mutual funds

Is any JPMorgan Proprietary Fund, including sub-advised funds

Is a security as defined under section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act held for the direct or indirect benefit of an Access Person, including any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security", or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guaranty of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. Excluded from this definition are:

1)Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;

2)Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

3)Shares issued by money market funds; and

4)Shares issued by open-end funds other than Reportable Funds

1)Any partner, officer, director or employees of JPMAM (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions).

2)All employees of entities affiliated with JPMAM that have been authorized by the Office of the Corporate Secretary to act in an official capacity on behalf of a legal entity within JPMAM, sometimes referred to as "dual hatted" employees;

3)Certain consultants, as well as any other persons who provide advice on behalf of

JPMAM and are subject to JPMAM's supervision and control;

4)All Access Persons

Is an executive level officer (i.e., president, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer or Partner) or director of a company, who, due to the nature of his/her position, may obtain material, non-public information.

14

C o d e o f E t h i c s

R e v . J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 2 0

Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc.

 

Table of Contents

 

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................

2

Definitions ......................................................................................................................................................

3

I.

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................

5

II.

General Principles....................................................................................................................................

5

III. Scope of the Code ....................................................................................................................................

6

A.

Persons Covered by the Code.......................................................................................................................

6

IV.

Standards of Business Conduct ................................................................................................................

6

A.

Conflicts of Interest ......................................................................................................................................

6

B.

Outside Business Interest .............................................................................................................................

7

C.

Transactions with Affiliates ..........................................................................................................................

7

D.

Disciplinary Events........................................................................................................................................

8

E.

Prohibited Activities .....................................................................................................................................

8

V.

Gifts and Entertainment ..........................................................................................................................

8

A.

Limits to Gifts and Entertainment Received by Employees .........................................................................

8

B.

Limits to Gifts and Entertainment Given by Employees...............................................................................

9

C.

Broker/Dealer Entertainment ......................................................................................................................

9

D.

Pre-Clearing and Reporting Gifts and Entertainment ..................................................................................

9

VI.

Personal Trading Procedures .................................................................................................................

10

A.

Disclosure of Personal Accounts and Security Holdings.............................................................................

10

B.

Permitted Investment Accounts.................................................................................................................

11

C.

Prohibited Transactions..............................................................................................................................

12

D.

Quarterly Personal Brokerage Statements.................................................................................................

12

E.

Exempt Reporting Requirements ...............................................................................................................

13

F.

Pre-Clearance Procedures ..........................................................................................................................

11

G.

Confidentiality ............................................................................................................................................

13

H.

Certification of Compliance with Code of Ethics ........................................................................................

13

VII. Quarterly Code of Ethics Certifications...................................................................................................

13

VIII. Administration and Enforcement of Code ..............................................................................................

14

A.

Annual Review ............................................................................................................................................

14

B.

Recordkeeping............................................................................................................................................

14

C.

Violations of the Code ................................................................................................................................

14

IX.

Whistleblower Policy .............................................................................................................................

15

Appendix A: Account Disclosure Matrix .........................................................................................................

17

Appendix B: Code of Ethics Pre-Clearance Matrix ..........................................................................................

18

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Definitions

Access Persons. Any Supervised Person who has access to non-public information regarding any clients' purchase or sale of securities, or non-public information regarding the portfolio holdings of a Reportable Fund; or who is involved in the investment decision making process for a client, or who has access to such investment decisions for a client. Each employee of the Firm is considered an Access Person unless otherwise exempted by Los Angeles Capital's Approving Officers.

Approving Officers. Chief Compliance Officer in conjunction with any of the following: General Counsel, President, or CEO.

Automatic Investment Plan. A program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in to or from Investment Accounts in accordance with a pre-determined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

Beneficial Ownership. Generally speaking, encompasses those situations where the beneficial owner has the right to enjoy some economic benefit from the ownership of the security or can obtain ownership of the securities immediately or within 60 days, or can vote or dispose of the securities. A person is normally regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of his or her spouse or minor children living in his or her household.

Closed End Fund. A fund which does not continuously offer their shares for sale, but rather, sells a fixed number of shares at one time (in an Initial Public Offering), after which the shares typically trade on a secondary market. The price is determined by the market and may be greater or less than the shares' net asset value.

Compliance System. Third-party compliance software used by Los Angeles Capital to record certifications and monitor activities including, but not limited, to Access Persons' personal trading, conflicts of interest, outside business interests, gifts and entertainment, etc.

Foreign Official. Includes governmental officials, political party leaders, candidates for office, employees of state owned enterprises (such as state owned banks or pension plans), and relatives or agents of such persons if a payment is made to such relative or agent of a Foreign Official with the knowledge or intent that it ultimately would benefit the Foreign Official.

Initial Public Offering (IPO). An offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 and 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Investment Account. An Investment Account is considered any personal brokerage account or retirement account capable of holding a security and where the Access Person has Beneficial Ownership or direct or indirect influence or control.

Limited Offering. An offering made to a few, select individuals that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (e.g., hedge funds, private placements, etc.).

Non-Discretionary Account. An account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.

Outside Business Interest. Any significant business interest in, or an outside position with, an entity not owned by the Firm.

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Outside Entity. Any entity (including non-profits) unaffiliated with the Firm, whether publicly or privately held. This may also include unincorporated businesses or self-employment, including family or private businesses. An Outside Entity does NOT include local community organizations such as local churches, homeowners associations, clubs, or local charities.

Reportable Fund. Any fund for which Los Angeles Capital serves as an investment adviser or sub-adviser.

Reportable Security. Any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Act, except that it does NOT include: (i) direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) Bankers' acceptances, back certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements, (iii) shares issued by money market funds; (iv) Shares issued by open-end funds other than Reportable Funds; and (v) Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, none of which are Reportable Funds.

Supervised Person. Director, officer, partner, or other person occupying similar status or performing similar functions, an employee of the Firm, and any other person who provides advice on behalf of the adviser and is subject to the adviser's supervision and control.

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I.Introduction

This Code of Ethics ("the Code") establishes the rules of conduct for Los Angeles Capital Management and Equity Research, Inc. ("Los Angeles Capital") and LACM Global, Ltd. (together, with Los Angeles Capital "the Firm") under Section 204 and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Financial Conduct Authority Principles for Business and Conduct of Business.

II.General Principles

The Firm acts as a fiduciary to its clients and investors ("clients") and therefore has an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty, and good faith to act in clients' best interests. The Firm's personnel have an obligation to uphold these duties. At a minimum, the Firm and its employees must conduct themselves in accordance with the following principles at all times:

1.You must place the interests of clients before yourself and the Firm;

2.You must conduct business with integrity;

3.You must act in a professional and ethical manner;

4.You have a duty to act with skill, competence, and diligence;

5.You have a duty to communicate with clients in a timely and accurate manner;

6.You must conduct all personal securities transactions in such a manner as to be consistent with the Code and to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an employee's position of trust and responsibility;

7.You must adequately protect client assets;

8.You must take reasonable care to organize and control the Firm's affairs responsibly and effectively, with adequate risk management;

9.You must adhere to the fundamental standard that investment advisory personnel not take inappropriate advantage of their positions;

10.You must adhere to the principle that information concerning the identity of security holdings and financial circumstance of clients is confidential;

11.Decisions affecting clients are to be made with the goal of providing suitable advice and equitable and fair treatment among clients;

12.Communications with clients or prospective clients should be candid and fulsome. They should be true and complete and not mislead or misrepresent. This applies to all marketing and promotional materials;

13.You must adhere to the principle that independence and objectivity in the investment decision making process is paramount; and

14.You must report any violations of the code to Los Angeles Capital's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). If it would not be appropriate to report to the CCO, then violations should be brought to the attention of

Los Angeles Capital's General Counsel.

All employees must comply with applicable federal securities laws and Firm policies issued from time to time, and, as an adviser the Firm and its employees are prohibited from the following:

1.Employing a device, scheme, or artifice that would defraud an investment advisory client;

2.Making to a client or potential client any untrue statement of a material fact or omitting a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made not misleading;

3.Engaging in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a client;

4.Engaging in a manipulative practice with respect to a client;

5.Engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation, acting on or spreading false market rumors; or

6.Making use of any information that an employee may have become aware of by virtue of his/her relationship with a client organization. Access Persons may not conduct a transaction while aware of such

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"inside information" if the information is indeed non-public in nature and comes about through dialogue and/or interaction with an official at a publicly-traded organization.1

III.Scope of the Code

A. Persons Covered by the Code

Every employee of the Firm is considered an Access Person, unless otherwise exempted by Los Angeles Capital's Approving Officers. Consultants, interns, or other temporary employees may be considered an Access Person depending on certain factors such as length of service, nature of duties, and access to the Firm's information. Such persons will be notified if they are considered to be an Access Person.

Family Members of Access Persons

Certain family members of Access Persons are subject to the specific reporting requirements detailed in the Personal Trading Procedures section of the Code.

IV. Standards of Business Conduct

A. Conflicts of Interest

The Firm recognises that, from time to time, a conflict of interest may arise between its own interests and those of a client. The Firm requires that its clients' interests take precedence and that its Access Persons disregard any other relationship, arrangement, material interest, or conflict of interest which may serve to influence, or appear to influence, its discretionary management.

From time to time the Firm may have an interest or relationship to a transaction that either gives, or may give, rise to a conflict of interest. As a fiduciary, the Firm must not knowingly advise or deal in the exercise of discretion in relation to that transaction unless reasonable steps are taken to manage the conflict of interest to avoid impairment of that transaction. Where the Firm faces a material conflict that it is unable to manage, this fact must be disclosed to the client(s) concerned.

All conflicts and potential conflicts of interest, including interest in a transaction, should be reported to Los Angeles Capital's Compliance department via the Compliance System upon hire or upon entering into any such relationship, whichever may come first. Each reported conflict will be examined by Compliance or General Counsel to determine whether the conflict would be inconsistent with the interests of the Firm and subject to the implementation of appropriate information barriers or other procedures to isolate the involved investment personnel from investment-making decisions regarding the securities of or transactions with the company.

In determining whether a conflict of interest exists, the Firm must specifically take into account where it: (i) is likely to make a financial gain or avoid a financial loss at the expense of the client; (ii) has an interest in the outcome of the service provided to the client, or the transaction carried out on behalf of its client, which is distinct from the client's interest in that outcome; (iii) carries on the same business as the client; or (iv) receives, or will receive, from a person other than the client, an inducement in relation to a service provided to the client in the form of monies, goods, or services, other than the standard commission or fee for that service. The following list includes, but is not limited to, possible conflicts:

Immediate family member is employed by a: o broker-dealer

o publicly traded company

1Refer to Los Angeles Capital's Insider Trading Policy for further information.

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ocritical service provider (see Compliance for a full list of Critical Service Providers) o client

o regulatory agency o investment adviser

Employee or family member serves on the board of directors or committee of any of the above.

Any material, Beneficial Ownership or interest in any of the above.

Executorship, trusteeship, or power of attorney privileges other than with respect to a family member.

Record of Conflicts

As its principal mechanism for identifying, managing, monitoring, and mitigating conflicts of interest, the Firm maintains a record of reported conflicts of interests, which itemizes conflicts, mitigating controls, and responsibilities.

Identified material conflicts are disclosed to clients in Form ADV Part 2A.

B. Outside Business Interest

The Firm permits employees to maintain Outside Business Interests as long as the Outside Business Interest does not: (i) create an actual or potential conflict of interest for the Firm; (ii) interfere with the employee's duties to the Firm and its clients; or (iii) jeopardize the business or reputation of the Firm. Outside Business Interests include a wide range of endeavors, including but not limited to: employment with an unaffiliated company, acting as an independent contractor or consultant, owner of an unrelated business, or serving as a director or officer of any Outside Entity.

Employees should not hold any part-time or secondary position with any Outside Entity that may create an actual or potential conflict of interest with the duties the employee performs for the Firm, regardless of whether the employee is compensated or not. A position with an Outside Entity is considered an Outside Business Interest.

Employees may not engage in Outside Business Interests without approval from their supervisor, the CCO, General Counsel, and the CEO. A request to engage in or undertake an Outside Business Interest must be submitted via the Compliance System. See Compliance for more information.

No Firm employee may accept an appointment as an executor, trustee, guardian, conservator, general partner, or other fiduciary, or any appointment as a consultant in connection with fiduciary or active money management matters, without obtaining approval from Los Angeles Capital's CCO. Securities trading by employees in any fiduciary capacity is subject to the Firm's Personal Trading Procedures.

Approval of an Outside Business Interest will be subject to the implementation of procedures to safeguard against potential conflicts of interest, such as establishing information barriers, placing securities of the company on the Firm's restricted list, or recusing yourself if the entity ever considers doing business with the Firm. Approval may be withdrawn at any time if the Firm's senior management concludes that withdrawal is in the Firm or its client's interest. Employees must provide Compliance with prompt notification any time a previously approved Outside Business Interest changes or the employee becomes aware of a conflict of interest relating to the activity. It is possible that the employee may be required to discontinue the previously approved activity.

See Compliance if you are unsure of your reporting obligations.

C. Transactions with Affiliates

Los Angeles Capital has one affiliate, LACM Global, Ltd., that provides advisory and marketing services to professional investors in Europe, the U.K., and the Middle East. Any new arrangements between the entities must

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be reviewed by Compliance, Legal, and Los Angeles Capital's Board of Directors to account for any potential conflicts of interest.

D. Disciplinary Events

All employees are to promptly notify Los Angeles Capital's CCO of any disciplinary history upon hire and in the event of notice of or commencement of any regulatory, legal, or disciplinary action even if such action relates to your prior employment. The CCO is responsible for determining whether the information is material and must be reported to regulators and/or clients.

E. Prohibited Activities

Employees are prohibited from all of the following activities:

Using or sharing knowledge about pending, currently considered, or recent securities transactions of clients to profit personally, directly or indirectly, as a result of such transaction, including purchasing or selling such securities.

Disclosing to other persons any information about a client and/or former clients, including financial circumstances, security holdings, identity (unless the client has previously consented to the circumstances of the disclosure), and any advice furnished by the Firm.

Borrowing from clients or providers of goods or services with whom the Firm deals, except those who engage in lending in the usual course of business and then only on terms offered to others in similar circumstances, without special treatment. This prohibition does not preclude borrowing from individuals related to you by blood or marriage.

Giving advice to clients that may be interpreted as giving legal advice. All questions in this area should be referred to Los Angeles Capital's General Counsel.

Giving clients advice on tax matters, the preparation of tax returns, or investment decisions, with the exception of situations that may be appropriate in the performance of an official fiduciary or advisory responsibility, or as otherwise required in the ordinary course of your duties.

V.Gifts and Entertainment

A conflict of interest may occur when an employee's personal interests interfere or potentially interfere with responsibilities to the Firm or its clients. The overriding principle is to eliminate any conflict of interest. Accordingly, employees should not solicit, give, or accept inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or other things of material value that could be viewed as overly generous, aimed at influencing decision-making, or making either party feel beholden to a person or a company or that in any manner would conflict with the best interests of the Firm or its clients.

A.Limits to Gifts and Entertainment Received by Employees

No employee may receive any gift, service, or other thing valued greater than $100 in aggregate (a

"Prohibited Gift") from any person or entity that does or hopes to do business with the Firm within a calendar year. The receipt of cash gifts is prohibited. Los Angeles Capital's CCO is authorized to make a final determination as to whether the thing of value should be considered a Prohibited Gift within the context of the Code's principles and may approve or deny requests to be able to accept any gift. An example of something that would not be considered a Prohibited Gift would be receipt of free admission to a conference hosted by one of the Firm's current vendors or service providers which is also provided to other clients at no charge.

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No employee may accept extravagant or excessive entertainment from a client, prospective client, or any other person or entity that does or hopes to do business with the Firm.2 Employees may accept a business entertainment event, such as dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value, if the person or entity providing the entertainment (i) is present; (ii) the entertainment is not provided as part of a quid pro quo arrangement; and (iii) the entertainment does not create a conflict of interest in relation to any client account.

B.Limits to Gifts and Entertainment Given by Employees

No employee may give or offer to give any gift, service, or other thing valued greater than $100 in aggregate within a calendar year to existing clients, prospective clients, or any other person or entity that does or hopes to do business with the Firm, including brokers and service providers, without the prior consent of Los Angeles Capital's Compliance department. Cash gifts are prohibited.

oThere are more restrictive rules and limitations for gifts and entertainment provided to certain state or local government plans, ERISA plans, unions and union officials, and Foreign Officials. Please see Compliance or Legal regarding specific gift giving limitations. Please note that for some clients or prospects entertainment and gifts may be required to be reported to a third party and could reflect unfavorably on the Firm or disqualify the Firm from being able to provide management services.

oState and local governments increasingly limit or prohibit gifts and entertainment to the employees, officers, board members, and consultants of their pension and other investing funds. Some prohibit providing anything of value, including any food, whether provided at a Firm facility or event or elsewhere, or transportation to and from airports by cab or private car. Failure to comply with these requirements by the Firm or its employees can lead to disqualification of the Firm from managing assets for the client, loss of management fees, or other penalties.

oGifts and contributions to elected political officials and candidates for political office are covered by special rules. See the Pay to Play Policy.

No employee may provide extravagant or excessive entertainment to a client, prospective client, or any other person or entity that does or hopes to do business with the Firm. Employees may provide a business entertainment event, such as dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value, if the person or entity providing the entertainment is present and it is both necessary and incidental to the performance of the

Firm's business.

C.Broker/Dealer Entertainment

All employees are required to obtain pre-clearance from Compliance prior to accepting any entertainment from a broker/dealer by submitting a Broker Entertainment Request via the Compliance System. EACH Firm attendee/representative must submit a separate request to cover his or her participation only. Pre-clearance approval cannot be granted by the same individual seeking pre-clearance. All Broker Entertainment Requests must be submitted to the Compliance department in advance of the event.

D. Pre-Clearing and Reporting Gifts and Entertainment

Regardless of value or giver, all gifts and entertainment received are required to be logged in the Compliance System. You are advised to seek pre-approval if you are not certain whether the entertainment would be considered excessive, if you are providing a gift or entertainment to a government fund/pension plan, Union or Union Official, or ERISA fiduciary, or if you cannot judge whether a gift has a value over $100. If any unapproved

2Entertainment provided by a broker/dealer is subject to stricter requirements. Please refer to the section on Broker/Dealer Entertainment for more information.

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gift is received, the recipient should either reject the gift, give the gift to Compliance who will return the gift to the giver, or if returning the gift would harm relations with the giver, Compliance will donate the gift to charity.

VI. Personal Trading Procedures

The Firm has adopted the following Personal Trading Procedures that must be followed by all Access Persons and their Related Parties where applicable. In certain circumstances, and in its discretion, Compliance may prohibit an Access Person from engaging in any personal trading activity and will communicate such prohibition or other limitations to the Access Person at hire or at the time of effect. Restrictions on personal trading do not relieve an Access Person of any reporting requirements set forth by the Code.3

A. Disclosure of Personal Accounts and Security Holdings

Each Access Person must disclose via the Compliance System all Investment Accounts and directly held Reportable Securities where he/she or a Related Party has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

Within 10 days of being hired;

At account opening;

At the time such ownership is obtained; and

On a quarterly basis thereafter.

Appendix A offers guidance on account disclosure requirements specific to various account types.

Each Access Person & Related Party, where relevant, must consent to Compliance's receipt of data feeds directly via the Compliance System for all Investment Accounts.

Under the SEC Rules, a person is regarded as having Beneficial Ownership when they can either directly or indirectly benefit economically from the account OR if the securities are held in the name of a Related Party, defined as:

A husband, wife, or domestic partner

A minor child

A relative or significant other sharing the same house, and

Anyone else if the Access Person:

oObtains benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of the securities o Can obtain ownership of the securities immediately or within 60 days, or o Can vote the securities

Another example of an Access Person having Beneficial Ownership includes trades in any relative's brokerage account (not just those living in the same household) if the Access Person is authorized to make or direct trades AND can benefit economically from the account, regardless of whether the Access Person actually makes or directs the trades.

Whether you have Beneficial Ownership in the securities of a spouse, domestic partner, minor child, or relative or significant other sharing the same house can be rebutted only under very limited facts and circumstances. If you believe your situation is unique and therefore rebuts the presumption of Beneficial Ownership, you must contact the CCO for written approval.

3Certain Access Persons, such as consultants, interns, or other temporary employees, may be required to meet the Code's reporting obligations in alternative ways to the Compliance System. Where applicable, the Compliance department will work with each Access Person to determine satisfactory requirements and will be communicated at time of hire or occurrence.

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If you act as a fiduciary with respect to funds and accounts managed outside of the Firm (e.g. if you act as the executor of an estate for which you make investment decisions) and have received approval to engage in such Outside Business Interest, you are deemed to have Beneficial Ownership in the assets of that fund or account. Accordingly, any securities transactions you make on behalf of that fund or account will be subject to the general trading restrictions and reporting applicable to you under the Code.

B. Permitted Investment Accounts

Access Persons and their Related Parties are only permitted to maintain Investment Accounts with the brokerages identified on LACM's Designated Brokerage List for Access Persons and Related Parties.4 Employer-sponsored retirement accounts (e.g., 401(k) and 403(b)), 529 Plans, and Compliance-approved Non-Discretionary Accounts are exempt from this requirement.

Unless written permission is granted by Compliance, Access Persons and their Related Parties are required to transition any applicable accounts within 90 calendar days from the time of disclosure to a broker on LACM's Designated Brokerage List. The transition process must begin within 30 calendar days from the date of account disclosure. Evidence that the transition has commenced may be requested by Compliance at any time on or after the 31st calendar day.

C. Pre-Clearance Procedures

Transacting in various security types, including limited offerings, must be pre-cleared via the Compliance System. Please see Appendix B for examples of the types of securities transactions that require pre-clearance, or consult Compliance if you are unsure of any pre-clearance obligations. All personal trading pre-clearance request must be approved in the Compliance System prior to execution.

Personal Trade Pre-Clearance Requests are made via the Compliance System and require the approval of a member of the Trading department AND a member of the Compliance department. Compliance retains the discretion to evaluate the circumstances of each transaction in conjunction with its corresponding trade request. Certain circumstances may require an estimated value of the transaction subject to a reasonable variance.

Pre-clearance approval cannot be granted by the same individual seeking pre-clearance. A standard approval is valid only until the end of the trading day on which approval was granted, or such shorter time as may be specified. If the trade is not executed by the end of the current trading day a new pre-clearance request needs to be submitted for approval prior to trading on any subsequent day.

Private Investments

Initial purchases by Access Persons or their Related Parties in securities of privately – owned companies are required to receive pre-clearance approval from a member of the Compliance department via the Compliance System. A standard approval is valid only within thirty calendar days from the day in which approval was granted. If the company notifies you of their intent to go public, you must immediately notify Compliance. All such positions in privately – owned companies and subsequent transactions need to be confirmed quarterly via the Compliance System as part of the Quarterly Reporting process.

LACM Identified Securities List

Transactions directed by Access Persons or Related Parties in securities and Reportable Funds identified on this list require pre-clearance approval prior to execution. This includes transactions directed by Access Persons or Related Parties in employer sponsored retirement accounts, as well as applicable transactions occurring in the Los Angeles Capital 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan.

4The LACM Designated Brokerage List for Access Persons and Related Parties is available via the Compliance System. Consultants, interns, or other temporary employees deemed an Access Person by Compliance may be exempt from the

Firm's Designated Brokerage requirement in certain circumstances.

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Exemptions from Pre-Clearance

Transactions pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan (plan contributions, dividend reinvestment plans, etc.). Note that a voluntary, initial automatic investment transaction in an account other than an employer sponsored retirement account must be pre-cleared in accordance with its security and transaction type, but all subsequent automatic investments are exempt from pre-clearance provided the schedule and security remain the same.

Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuers, and sales of such rights so acquired.

Non-directed acquisition or sales of securities due to involuntary corporate actions, including stock dividends, splits, mergers, spin-offs, etc.

Receipt of gifts of securities.

Purchases or sales held in Compliance-approved Non-Discretionary Accounts where the employee has no direct or indirect influence or control. This includes accounts where the employee has signed over-all investment discretion to an adviser, broker, or other trustee.

Acquisition of shares of Los Angeles Capital by Access Persons pursuant to periodic share offerings.

Subsequent transactions in a Limited Offering where the initial investment received pre-clearance approval.

Fractional share positions that are automatically executed subject to broker discretion or account terms.

D.Prohibited Transactions

The Firm does not allow:

Purchases of a publicly traded client security (stock, bond, etc.);5

Purchase of shares through an Initial Public Offering (IPO);

Engaging in frequent trading of a Reportable Fund;6

Engaging in day trading as it may be a potential distraction from servicing clients; and

Undertaking personal investment transactions with the same individual employee at a broker-dealer firm on the Firm's approved brokerage roster.7

In the event that a restricted security was held prior to your employment with the Firm or prior to the addition to the Firm's restricted list, the Firm will not require you to liquidate your position but instead require pre- clearance on future transactions.

E. Quarterly Personal Brokerage Statements

Access Persons will provide the Compliance department via the Compliance System all Investment Account statements where the Access Peron has either direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership AND direct/indirect influence or control, including the investment accounts of all Related Parties. This may include such accounts as traditional brokerage accounts, IRAs, former employer sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k)s or 403(b)s), etc. and must reflect all activity within the account during the quarterly period under review.

Where possible, data feeds for these accounts and their respective activity will be provided on a daily basis to the Compliance department via the Compliance System. If feeds are not possible, each Access Person will be required to submit, on a quarterly basis via the Compliance System, duplicate copies of all Investment Account

5Refer to the Firm's Restricted Securities List.

6Frequent trading of a Reportable Fund is defined as selling or repurchasing a position that was taken or sold, respectively, less than thirty days prior to the transaction. Certain funds may have more restrictive frequent trading policies. A list of the Reportable Funds is available via the Compliance System.

7Non-Discretionary Accounts and Related Parties are not subject to this prohibition. A list of prohibited individuals is available via the Compliance System.

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statements where the Access Person has either direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership AND direct/indirect influence or control, including the Investment Accounts of all Related Parties.

F. Exempt Reporting Requirements

Access Persons do not need to provide statements or pre-clear transactions in Compliance-approved Non- Discretionary Accounts where the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control, including securities held in accounts where the Access Person may have signed over ALL investment discretion to an adviser, broker, or other trustee. However, Access Persons are required to report the existence of these accounts in the Compliance System on a quarterly basis, along with acceptable proof of the account's non-discretionary status within 10 days of being hired, at the time the account is considered to be non-discretionary, and annually thereafter. If you are uncertain as to whether this exclusion applies to you, please see Compliance for further clarification.

Ownership of shares of Los Angeles Capital allocated pursuant to periodic share offerings and 529 College Savings Plans are exempt from all reporting requirements and do not need to be disclosed in any capacity in the Compliance System.

Los Angeles Capital's 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

Most investments available through Los Angeles Capital's 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan are exempt from reporting, with the exception of the Reportable Funds listed on the LACM Identified Securities List. Transactions in Reportable Funds that are made pursuant to an automatic investment plan, such as a plan contribution, are exempt. However, transactions in Reportable Funds that are directed by the Access Person by either a direct exchange in or out of the Reportable Fund, or through a one-time reallocation of your investment mix, require pre-clearance approval.

Access Persons are not required to provide a quarterly statement for the Los Angeles Capital 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan. Transactions in Reportable Funds will be monitored directly via transaction reports provided by the plan administrator.

G. Confidentiality

All reports submitted to Los Angeles Capital's Compliance department pursuant to the Code will remain confidential, except to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of the Code or to comply with requests for information from regulatory and law enforcement agencies.

H. Certification of Compliance with Code of Ethics

Upon hire and quarterly thereafter, each employee will certify in writing that (i) he/she received, read, and understands the Code and any applicable amendments; (ii) recognizes that he/she is subject to the Code; (iii) that he/she has complied with the requirements of the Code; and (iv) that he/she has disclosed all personal securities and transactions required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code.

This certification will be made quarterly via the Compliance System. The Compliance department will provide each employee with a current copy of the Code upon hire, request, material change, and a copy will be maintained on the Compliance System for easy, continuous retrieval.

VII. Quarterly Code of Ethics Certifications

Access Persons must report via the Compliance System within 30 days of each calendar quarter-end all positions in directly held Reportable Securities, confirm all Investment Accounts for the Access Person and their Related Parties, certify to all entries made in the Compliance System, including gifts and entertainment, conflicts of interest, etc., and respond to any additional requests or certifications deemed necessary by Compliance. The

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Compliance department will review all submissions for accuracy and completeness, cross checking with other required documentation.

VIII. Administration and Enforcement of Code

A. Annual Review

Compliance will review the Code at least annually for its adequacy and effectiveness. Any material amendments to the Code must be approved by Los Angeles Capital's Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of any mutual fund that Los Angeles Capital currently serves as a sub-adviser. All material amendments will be promptly communicated to Firm employees.

As a mutual fund adviser or sub-adviser, Los Angeles Capital will provide a written annual report to the Board of Directors of each mutual fund that describes any issues arising under the Code since the last report, including information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response. This report will also include discussion of any waivers that might be considered important by the Fund's Board of Directors and will certify that the Firm has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code.

B. Recordkeeping

All required documentation will be retained in accordance with Rule 204-2 of the Investment Advisers Act. Please see the Firm's Books and Records policy for further information.

C. Violations of the Code

All Access Persons must report immediately to Compliance if they: (i) suspect that another employee or anyone else working on behalf of the Firm has breached any of the General Principles outlined in this Code; (ii) believe that any of the Firm's procedures are inconsistent with the Firm's fiduciary duty or regulations; or (iii) are asked, directly or indirectly, to act in any manner inconsistent with the General Principles of the Code.

Access Persons must make sure that Related Parties covered by the Code are familiar with the requirements of the Code, particularly regarding personal trading requirements. A violation due to the actions of a Related Party constitutes a violation by the Access Person.

Material violations of the Code include violations that impact a client or are egregious, malicious, or repetitive in nature. A violation may include, but is not limited to: failure to receive pre-clearance when obligated; opening a non-permitted Investment Account; trading in restricted securities; fraudulent misrepresentation of personal securities holdings or conflicts of interest; receipt of or gifting an excessive gift or entertainment event to a client, prospective client, or any individual or entity who does business or hopes to do business with the Firm; failing to receive pre-clearance for broker entertainment; repetitive non-material violations for the same offense; non- compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations; fraud or illegal acts involving any of the Firm's business; material misrepresentation in regulatory filings, internal books and records, client records, or reports; activity that is harmful to a client, including its shareholders; and deviations from required controls and procedures that safeguard clients and the Firm.

Sanctions

Any violations of the Code may result in disciplinary action that Los Angeles Capital's Board of Directors and the CCO deem appropriate, including, but not limited to, a warning, fines, disgorgement, suspension, demotion, loss of responsibility, or termination of employment. In addition to sanctions, violations may result in referral to civil or criminal authorities where appropriate.

P a g e | 14

Sanctions for Personal Trading Violations

Personal trading violations, including, but not limited to, trading without the required pre-clearance or trading restricted securities, may result in the immediate unwinding of the trade or a fine. If required, the amount of the fine will be determined by members of Los Angeles Capital's Board of Directors and the CCO. It may include the disgorgement of any profits from the trade to a mutually agreed upon charity. The trade(s) may be unwound as soon as possible upon discovery and notification of the violation.

IX. Whistleblower Policy

The Firm is committed to high ethical standards and compliance with the law in all of its operations and will deal with its regulators in an open and cooperative way. The Firm must disclose to regulators anything relating to the Firm of which a regulator would reasonably expect notice. The Firm believes that its employees are in the best position to provide early identification of significant issues that may arise with compliance with these standards and the law. The Firm's policy is to create an environment in which its employees can report these issues in good faith without the fear of reprisal.

The Firm requires employees to report illegal activity or activities that are not in compliance with the Firm's formal written policies and procedures, including the Firm's Code of Ethics, to assist the Firm in detecting and putting an end to fraud or unlawful conduct. All such reports will be treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law and investigated promptly and appropriately.

The Firm expects the Whistleblower Policy to be used responsibly. If an employee believes that a policy is not being followed because it is merely being overlooked, the normal first recourse should be to bring the issue to the attention of the party charged with the operation of the policy. In most cases, an employee should be able to resolve the issue with his or her manager, or, if appropriate, another senior member of the Firm. However, instances may occur when this recourse fails or you have legitimate reason to not notify management. In such cases the Firm has established a system for employees to report illegal activities or non-compliance with the Firm's formal policies and procedures.

An employee who has good faith belief that a violation of law or failure of compliance may occur or is occurring has a right to come forward and report under this Whistleblower Policy. "Good faith" does not mean that a reported concern must be correct, but it does require that the reporting employee believe that he or she is fully disclosing information that is truthful.

Reports may be oral, by telephone or interview, or in writing by letter, memorandum, instant message, or e-mail. The employee making the report must identify himself or herself. The employee should also clearly identify that the report is being made pursuant to the Whistleblower Policy and in a context commensurate with the fact that the Policy is being invoked. The report should be made to the following parties, in the order shown:

The Chief Compliance Officer, unless it would not be appropriate or that officer fails to respond; or

The General Counsel.

The Chief Compliance Officer and/or General Counsel, as appropriate, will consult about the investigation as required. Depending on the nature of the matters covered by the report, an officer or manager may conduct the investigation or it may be conducted by the Chief Compliance Officer, the General Counsel, or by an external party.

The investigation will be conducted diligently by any appropriate action.

The Firm understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality of the reporting employee to make the Whistleblower right effective. Therefore, the identity of the employee making the report will be kept confidential, except to the extent that disclosure may be required by law, a governmental agency, by self-regulatory

P a g e | 15

organization, or as an essential part of completing the investigation determined by the Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel. Any disclosure shall be limited to the minimum required. The employee making the report will be advised if confidentiality cannot be maintained.

The Chief Compliance Officer will follow up on the investigation to make sure that it is completed, that any non- compliance issues are addressed. The Chief Compliance Officer will ensure that no acts of retribution or retaliation occur against the person(s) reporting violations or cooperating in an investigation in good faith.

The Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel will report to the Firm's Board of Directors concerning the findings of any investigation they determine involved a significant non-compliance issue.

If an employee elects not to report suspected unlawful activity or a suspected violation of law to the Firm, the employee may contact the appropriate governmental authority for review and possible investigation. Nothing in any Confidentiality Agreement between an employee or former employee and the Company will be considered violated in making a report of suspected unlawful activity to a governmental authority. This includes reporting waste, fraud, or abuse related to the performance of a Government contract involving the Company to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or  agency  authorized to receive such  information  (e.g.,  agency  Office of the Inspector General).

The California Attorney General's whistleblower hotline is 800-952-5225, the SEC's whistleblower hotline is 202-551-4790, and the FCA's Whistleblowing Advice Line is +44 (0)20 7066 9200 or whistle@fca.org.uk .

Note that submitting a report that is known to be false is a violation of this Policy. The Firm will not retaliate against an individual who reports a violation as required by law.

Retaliation against an individual who reports a violation is prohibited and constitutes a further violation of the Code.

P a g e | 16

Appendix A: Account Disclosure Matrix

Account Type

Disclosure

Electronic Feed

Assets at Firm-

Other Requirements

 

 

 

Approved Brokerage

 

Discretionary Investment Accounts

Required

Required

Required

New Investment Accounts are disclosed at account

(Ex. – individual/joint non-retirement,

 

 

 

inception via the Compliance System, upon obtaining

IRAs, HSA, Trusts, etc.)

 

 

 

Beneficial Ownership, or upon a change from Non-

 

 

 

 

Discretionary status.

 

 

 

 

Access Persons and Related Parties must transition

 

 

 

 

applicable accounts within 90 days of disclosure date

 

 

 

 

directly to an eligible brokerage. The transition process

 

 

 

 

must commence within 30 days from the date of account

 

 

 

 

disclosure.

Non-Discretionary Investment

Required

Not Required

Not Required

Non-Discretionary status is subject to Compliance approval

Account

 

 

 

and must be evidenced:

 

 

 

 

1) within 10 days of hire date OR account opening OR at

 

 

 

 

time the account is considered to be non-discretionary;

 

 

 

 

AND

 

 

 

 

2) on an annual basis thereafter.

 

 

 

 

An account is considered non-discretionary only AFTER

 

 

 

 

Compliance has provided written approval.

Employer-sponsored retirement

Required

Not Required

Not Required

Disclosure is required at the time of hire or account

(Ex. – 401(k), 403(b), etc.)

 

 

 

inception. Quarterly statement must be uploaded via the

 

 

 

 

Compliance System.

Los Angeles Capital's 401(k) Profit

Required

Not Required

N/A

Transactions are monitored for investments in securities

Sharing Plan

 

 

 

and Reportable Funds on the LACM Identified Securities

 

 

 

 

List. Pre-clearance requirements are included on the LACM

 

 

 

 

Identified Securities List.

529 Plans

Not Required

N/A

N/A

N/A

P a g e | 17

Appendix B: Code of Ethics Pre-Clearance Matrix

If a security type you would like to trade is not listed below, please see Compliance for additional guidance. Transactions made pursuant to an automatic investment plan require pre-clearance at the initial investment in an investment account other than an employer sponsored retirement account (subsequent investments made pursuant to the automatic investment plan do not require pre-clearance).

Security Type

Pre-Clearance Approval

Bankers Acceptance

Not Required

Certificate of Deposits (CDs)

Not Required

Commercial Paper

Not Required

Debt

 

All debt issued by LACM Restricted Security List

PROHIBITED

Commercial Paper

Not Required

Corporate Bonds

Not Required

High Quality, Short-Term Debt Instruments

Not Required

Municipal or Government Bond (Non Federal)

Not Required

Promissory Notes

Not Required

Digital Currency

Not Required

Digital Coin/Token

Not Required

Direct Obligations of U.S. Government

Not Required

Funds (Open and Closed)

 

ETF

Not Required

ETFs on LACM Identified Securities List

Required

Closed-end Funds

Required

Money Market Funds

Not Required

Mutual Funds

Not Required

Mutual Funds on LACM Identified Securities List

Required8

Reportable Funds on LACM Identified Securities List

Required9

Unit Investment Fund or Trust

Required

Initial Coin Offering (ICO)

PROHIBITED

IPO Allocation

PROHIBITED

Limited or Direct Offering

Required at time of initial investment; not required for all

 

subsequent investments provided in same limited

 

offering

Options/Futures Contracts

 

ETFs or Indices

Not Required

ETFS on LACM Identified Securities List

Required

Stocks

Required

Stocks on LACM Restricted Security List

PROHIBITED

All other options/futures contracts

Not Required

Repurchase Agreements

Not Required

Shares issued by Los Angeles Capital

Not Required

Stock

 

Common Stock

Required

Stocks on LACM Restricted Security List

PROHIBITED

Preferred Stocks

Required

8Transactions in securities or Reportable Funds on the LACM Identified Securities List that occur as a part of an automatic investment plan in an employer sponsored retirement account do not require pre-clearance. Direct exchanges in or out of these securities, or one-time reallocations involving these securities, require pre-clearance.

P a g e | 18

MFS® Code of Ethics Policy

December 16, 2019

Personal Investing

Applies to

AllMFSfull-time,part-timeand temporaryemployeesglobally

All MFS contractors, interns and co-opswhohavebeennotifiedby Compliancethattheyaresubject to thispolicy

All MFS entities

Questions?

 iComply@mfs.com 

Compliance Helpline, x54290

Ryan Erickson, x54430

Elysa Aswad, x54535

For more information on administration such as regulatory authority, supervision, interpretation and escalation,monitoring,relatedpolicies, amendment or recordkeeping please click this link.

TheinherentnatureofMFS'servicesinselectingandtradingsecuritieshas the potential to create a real or apparent conflict of interest with your personal investingactivities.Asaresult,everyindividualsubjecttothispolicyhasa fiduciarydutytoavoidtakingpersonaladvantageofanyknowledgeofour clients' investmentactivities.

Followingtheletterandspiritoftherulesinthispolicyiscentraltomeeting client expectations and ensuring that we remain a trusted and respected firm.

Rules That Apply toEveryone

Your fiduciaryduty

Alwaysplaceclientinterestsaheadofyourown.Youmust

never:

TakeadvantageofyourpositionatMFStomisappropriate investment opportunities from MFS clients.

SeektodefraudanMFSclientordoanythingthatcouldhavethe effect of creating fraud or manipulation.

Mislead a client.

Account reporting obligations

Make sure you understand which accounts are reportable accounts. To determine whether an account is reportable, ask the following questions:

1Istheaccountoneofthefollowing?

- A brokerageaccount.

Anyothertypeofaccount(suchasemployeestockoptionor stock purchase plans)in which you have the ability to hold or trade reportable securities (see the list of reportable securities on page7).

Anyaccount,includingMFS-sponsoredretirementorbenefit plans,thatholdsareportablefund(seedefinitionofreportable fund on page 7 and a list of these funds on iComply).

2Is any of the following true?

You beneficially own the account.

Theaccountisbeneficiallyownedbyyourspouseor domestic partner.

Theaccountisbeneficiallyownedbyanothermemberofyour

householdsuchasaparent,siblingorchildforwhomyou providefinancialsupport,suchassharingofhousehold expenses.

Theaccountisbeneficiallyownedbyanyonewhoyouclaimas a tax deduction.

Theaccountiscontrolledbyyouoranothermemberofyour household(otherthantofulfilldutiesofemployment)for whom you provide financial support, such as sharing of household expenses.

If you answered "yes" to both questions, the account is reportable.

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Beneficial ownership

The concept of beneficial ownership is broader than that of outright ownership. Anyone who is in a position to benefit from the gains or income from, or who controls, an account or investment is considered to have beneficial ownership. This means that this policy applies not only to you, but to others that share beneficial ownership in these accounts or securities. See examples on page 6. Frequently Asked Questions on the topic can be found here .

Ensure that MFS receives account statements for all your reportableaccounts.Dependingonthetypeofaccountoryour

location,youmayneedtoprovidethemtoCompliancedirectly.

Promptlyreportanynewlyopenedreportableaccountorany existing account that has become reportable (including those at an approved broker). This includes accounts that become

reportableaccountsthroughlifeevents,suchasmarriage,divorce, power of attorney or inheritance.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR US EMPLOYEES

Does not include interns, contractors, co-ops, or temporary employees

Maintain your reportable accounts at an approved broker.

WhenyoujoinMFS,ifyouhaveaccountsatnon-approvedbrokers you must close them or move them to an approved broker (list available on iComply).

Inrarecases,ifyoufilearequestthatincludesvalidreasonsforan exception,wemaypermityoutomaintainareportableaccountat abrokernotontheapprovedbrokerlist(forinstance,ifyouhavea fully discretionary account).

Page 2

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Discretionary accounts and automatic investment plans

Discretionaryaccounts(accountsthataremanagedforyoubyathird-party registeredinvestmentadviserorbankortrustcompany)andtransactions made under an automatic investment plan (such as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan) are reportable, but with approval from Compliance they are:

exempt from quarterly transaction and annual holdings certifications (though you must still provideaccount statements).

exempt from the Access Person and Research Analyst/Portfolio Manager tradingrules(suchastherulesconcerningpre-clearanceandthe60-day holdingperiod)(pp.4–5),butyoustillmustobtainpre-approvalbefore your advisor participates in an IPO or private placement.

exempt from certain "Ethical Personal Investing" trading rules such as excessive trading and trading of MFS funds (p. 3).

Request approval for these accounts using the Account Exception form found in iComply.

Securities reporting obligations

Make sure you understand which securities are reportable securities.Thisincludesmoststocks,bonds,MFSfunds,exchange-

traded funds (ETFs), futures, options, structured products, private placements and other unregistered securities even if they are not held in a reportable account. See the table on page 7.

Report all applicable accounts, transactions and holdings timely. Use the iComply system and submit all reports by these

deadlines:

InitialAccounts&Holdingsreports:Submitwithin10calendardays ofhireoruponanaccesslevelchange.Informationaboutthese holdingsmust be no morethan45 daysold when submitted.

Quarterly Personal Transaction Report: Submit within 30 days

of the end of each calendar quarter.

AnnualHoldingsReport:Submitwithin30daysoftheendof each calendaryear.

Note that you must submit each report even if no transactions or other changes occurred during the time period.

TheQuarterlyPersonalTransactionReportsdonotneedtoinclude:

Transactionsor holdings in non-reportable securities.

Transactionsorholdingsindiscretionaryaccountsforwhich there is an approval on file with Compliance.

Involuntary transactions, such as automatic investment plans, dividendreinvestments,etc.TheAnnualHoldingsReport,however, must reflect these transactions.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPOINTED

REPRESENTATIVES IN SINGAPORE

Provide a copy of the contract note for any trade of any security,includingreportablesecuritiesandnon-reportable securities,toSingaporeCompliance,within7daysofthetrade. CheckwithSingaporeComplianceontheinformationyoumust provide.

Ethical Personal Investing

Never trade securities based on the improper use of information,andneverhelpanyoneelsetodoso.Thisincludes

any trade based on:

InformationabouttheinvestmentsofanyMFSclient,including front-runningandtailgating(tradingjustbeforeorjustaftera similar trade for a client account).

Confidential information orinside information (information about theissuerofasecurity,orthesecurityitself,thatisbothmaterial and non-public).

Donottradeexcessively.AtMFS,personaltradingisaprivilege,not a right.It shouldnever interferewithyourjob performance.

MFSmaylimitthenumberoftradesyouareallowedduringagiven period,ormaydisciplineyoufortradingexcessively.Inaddition, frequent trading in MFS funds may trigger other penalties, as described in the relevant fund prospectuses.

Do not accept investment discretion over accounts that are not yours.Inlimitedcircumstances,andwithadvanceapprovalfrom Compliance, you may be allowed to assume power of attorney relating to financial or investment matters for another person or entity.

If you become an executor or trustee of an estate and it involves controloverasecuritiesaccount,youmustnotifyComplianceupon assuming the role, and you must meet any reporting or pre-clearance obligations thatapply.

Do not participate in any investment contest or club. This applies

whether or not any compensation or prize is awarded.

Do not trade securities that MFS has restricted. Follow MFS' instructionswhenyouarenotifiedofarestrictionindesignated securities.

DonotinvestinMFS-sub-advisedETFs.Forafulllistofthese

funds, see the iComply system.

Page 3

Only make investments in MFS open-end funds directly through MFS(oranotherentityMFSmaydesignate)unlessyouhavereceived

an exception from Compliance.

Do not participate ininitialpublicofferings (IPOs)or other limitedofferingsofsecuritiesexceptwithadvanceapproval

from MFS. This rule includes initial, secondary and follow-on offerings of equity securities and closed-end funds and new issues of corporate debtsecurities.

To request approval for an IPO or secondary offering, enter an Initial Public Offering Request using the form found on iComply. Note that approval is not typically granted, and when granted often involves strictlimits.

Never use a derivative, or any other instrument or technique, to getaroundarule.Ifaninvestmenttransactionisprohibited,then

youarealsoprohibitedfromeffectivelyaccomplishingthesame

thingbyusingfutures,options,ETFsoranyothertypeoffinancial instrument.

DonotinvestinContractsforDifferenceorengageinspread betting on financial markets. This includes any wagering on market

spreads or behaviors and any off-exchange trading.

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Changes in job status and life events

When changing jobs within MFS, ensure that you understand the rules that applytoyou.ConfirmwithyournewmanagerandCompliancewhatyour accesslevel is and what restrictionsand requirementsapply to you.

Whengoingonleave,youmustcontinuetocomplywiththispolicy unlessotherwiseapprovedbyCompliance.Whenyoureturnfrom leave you must complete any outstanding obligations.

Be cognizant of reporting obligations under this policy when life events occursuchasmarriage,divorceorinheritanceofanaccount.Consult with Compliance when uncertain.

Rules that Apply Only to Access Persons

Pre-clearing personal trades

pre-clearanceonthedayyouwanttoplacethetradebyenteringyour

WHICH ACCESS LEVEL ARE YOU?

Access Persons Most MFS personnel, including all officers and directors, are designated as Access Persons. You should consider yourself an Access Person unless it has been communicated to you by Compliance that you are not.

Research Analysts and Portfolio Managers In addition to the rules for Access Persons, these individuals are subject to additional rules, as noted on the following pages.

Compliance may designate other personnel as Access Persons. This may include consultants, contractors or interns who provide services to MFS, and

employees of Sun Life Financial Inc.

Makesureyouunderstandwhichsecuritiesrequirepre- clearance. Notethatthere aresome differences between which securitiesrequirepre-clearanceandwhichmustbereported. See the table on page 7 of this policy.

Pre-clearallpersonaltradesinapplicablesecurities.Request

Page 4

requestintheiComplysystem.Rememberthatyoumustpre- clear tradesforallofyourreportableaccounts(suchasthoseofa spouseor domesticpartner)aswellasforsecuritiesnotheldinan account.

Onceyouhaverequestedpre-clearance,waitforaresponse.Do NOT placeanytradeorderuntilyouhavereceivednoticeof approvalfor thattrade.Notethatpre-clearancerequestscanbe deniedatany time and for any reason.

Pre-clearanceapprovalsexpireattheendofthetradingdayon which they areissued.

Obtain advance approval for any private investments or other unregistered securities. This includes private

placements (investments in private companies), private investment in public equity securities (PIPES), hedge funds or other private funds, "crowdfunding" or "crowdsourcing" investments, peer-to-peer lending,pooledvehicles(suchas partnerships),InitialCoinOfferings (ICO's),Security Tokens and other similar investments.

Before investing, enter a Private Placement/Unregistered Securities ApprovalRequestfoundoniComply,anddonotactuntilyouhave received approval.

Page 5

HELPFUL TO KNOW

Not recommended: Good 'til canceled orders and buying on margin

These practices can create significant risk of policy violations.

Good 'til canceled orders may execute after your pre-clearance approval has expired. Placing day orders avoids this risk. With margin, you might not be able to receive pre-clearance approval for those securities you wish to sell to meet a margincall

Limits to personal investmentpractices

Do not take an uncovered short position. This includes selling

securitiesshort,buyingputswithoutacorrespondinglongposition and writing nakedcalls.

Do not buy and then sell (or sell and then buy) at a profit the same or equivalent reportable security within 60 calendar days.MFSmayinterpretthisruleverybroadly.Forexample,itmay

lookattransactionsacrossallofyourreportableaccountsandmay matchtradesthat arenotofthesamesize,securitytypeortax lot. Anygainsrealized inconnection withthese transactionsmustbe surrendered.Notethatthisruledoesnotapplytosecuritiesthatare not subject to pre-clearance, to accounts where a registered

investment adviser has investment discretion, or to involuntary transactions. Japan-based personnel: See rule with higher standard below.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH ANALYSTS

including Research Associates and Portfolio Managers who may write research notes

Nevertrade(ortransferownershipof)reportablesecurities personallywhileinpossessionofmaterialinformationabout an issuer you have researched or been assigned to research

unless you have already communicated the information in a research note. Japan-based personnel: See rule with higher standard below.

Understand and fulfill your duties with regard to research recommendations. You have an affirmative duty to provide

unbiased and timely research recommendations in a research note. You must:

Disclosetradingopportunitiesforclientaccountspriortotrading personally in any securities of that issuer.

Providearesearchrecommendationifasecurityissuitableforthe client accounts even if you have already traded the security

personallyorifmakingsucharecommendationwouldcreatethe appearanceofaconflictofinterest.NotifyCompliancepromptly of any apparent conflicts, but do not refrain from making a research recommendation.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

including Research Analysts assigned to a fund as a portfolio manager

Never personally trade (or transfer ownership of) a reportable securitywithinsevencalendardaysbeforeorafteratradein any security or derivative of the same issuer in any client account that you manage. In practice, this means:

Contacting Compliance promptly when deciding to make a portfoliotradeinanysecurityyouhavepersonallytradedwithin thepastsevencalendardays(butdonotrefrainfrommakinga tradethatissuitableforaclientaccountevenifyouhavetraded the securitypersonally).

Refraining from personally trading any reportable securities you thinkanyofyourclientaccountsmightwishtotradewithinthe next seven calendardays.

Delayingpersonaltradesinanyreportablesecuritiesyourclient accountshavetradeduntiltheeighthcalendardayafterthemost recent trade by a client account (or longer, to be certain of avoiding any appearance of conflict of interest).

Notethatthisruledoesnotapplytosecuritiesthatarenotsubjectto pre-clearance,toaccountswherearegisteredinvestmentadviser has investment discretion or to involuntary transactions.

Neverbuyand then sell(orselland then buy),within 14 calendar days, any shares of a fund you manage.

Contact Compliance before any fund you manage invests in anysecuritiesofanissuerwhoseprivatesecuritiesyouownor iftheprivateentityentersintoamaterialtransactionwitha publicissuer.Youwillneedtodiscloseyourprivateinterestand

assist Compliance in performing review.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR JAPAN-BASED

PERSONNEL

Do not buy and then sell (orsell and then buy)the same or equivalent reportable security within six months.

Nevertradepersonallyinanysecurityyouhaveresearchedin the prior 30 days or are scheduled to research in the future.

Page 6

Additional Information for all Personnel Subject to this Policy

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES

Accounts of parents or children

Youshare ahousehold withoneor bothparents,but you donot provideany financial support to the parent(s): You are not a beneficial owner of the parents' accounts andsecurities.

Youshareahouseholdwithoneormoreofyourchildren,whetherminoror adult, and you provide financial support to the child: You are a beneficial owner of the child's accounts and securities.

Youhaveachildwholiveselsewherewhomyouclaimasadependentfortax purposes: You are a beneficial owner of the child's accounts and securities.

Accounts of domestic partners or roommates

You are a joint owner or named beneficiary on an account of which a domesticpartnerisanowner:Youareabeneficialownerofthedomestic partner's accounts andsecurities.

Youprovide financialsupport toadomesticpartner,eitherdirectly or by paying any portion of household costs: You are a beneficial owner of the domestic partner's accounts and securities.

Youhavearoommate:Generally,roommatesarepresumedtobetemporary andto have nobeneficial interest in oneanother's accounts andsecurities.

UGMA/UTMA accounts

Eitheryou or your spouseisthecustodian of aUniformGift/ Trust toMinor Account (UGMA/UTMA) for a minor, and one or both of you is a parent of theminor:Youareabeneficialowneroftheaccount.(Ifsomeoneelseisthe custodian, you are not a beneficial owner.)

EitheryouoryourspouseisthebeneficiaryofanUGMA/UTMA accountand isof majority age (for instance, 18years orolder in Massachusetts): You are a beneficial owner of the account.

Transfer on death (TOD) accounts

Youautomaticallybecometheregisteredowneruponthedeathoftheprior account owner: You are a beneficial owneras of the date the account is re- registered in your name, but not before.

Trusts

You are a trustee for an account whose beneficiaries are not immediate family members: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis,including whetherit constitutes anoutsidebusiness activity(seethe Outside Activities & Affiliations Policy).

Youareatrusteeforanaccount andyouorafamilymemberisabeneficiary: You are a beneficial owner of the account.

Youareabeneficiaryoftheaccountandcanmakeinvestmentdecisions withoutconsultingatrustee:Youareabeneficialowneroftheaccount.

Youareabeneficiaryoftheaccountbuthavenoinvestmentcontrol:Youare a beneficial owner as of the date the trust is distributed, but not before.

Youarethesettlorofarevocabletrust:Youareabeneficialowneroftheaccount.

Yourspouseordomesticpartnerisatrusteeandabeneficiary: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Investment powers over an account

Youhavepowerofattorneyoveranaccount:Youareabeneficialownerasof the date you assume control of the trading or investment decisions on the account, but notbefore.

Youhave investment discretion over an account that holds, or could hold, reportablesecurities:Youareabeneficialowneroftheaccount,regardless ofthelocation,accounttypeortheregisteredowner(s)(otherthantofulfill duties of employment).

Youareservinginarolethatallowsorrequiresyoutodelegateinvestment discretion to an independent third party: Beneficial ownership is determined on a case-by-case basis.

HELPFUL TO KNOW

How we enforce this policy

Compliance is responsible for interpreting and enforcing this policy. Exceptions may only be granted by Compliance. In that capacity, Compliance reviews and monitors transactions and reports and also investigates potential violations.

The Employee Conduct Oversight Committee reviews potential violations, and where it determines that a violation has occurred, it usually imposes a penalty. These may range from a violation notice toa requirement to surrender profitsto atermination of employment, among other possibilities.

Page 7

Additional Information for all Personnel Subject to this Policy

ReportPre-clear

Accesspersonsonly

Note: Securities terminology varies widely in global markets. If a security type is not listed here or you are unsure how a security is treated under this policy, please contact Compliance directly.

Funds

Moneymarketfunds(MFSorother)

No

No

 

 

 

Open-end funds that are advised or sub-advised by MFS (and are not money market funds)

Yes

No

 

 

 

Open-end funds that are not advised or sub-advised by MFS

No

No

 

 

 

529 Plans holding MFS advised or sub-advised funds

Yes

No

 

 

 

Closed-endfunds(includingventurecapitaltrusts,investmenttrustsandMFSclosed-endfunds)

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Exchange-tradedfunds(ETFs)andexchange-tradednotes(ETNs),includingoptions,futures,structurednotesandother

Yes

No

derivatives related to these exchange-traded securities¹

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Equities

 

 

 

 

 

SunLife Financial Inc. (publicly traded shares)

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Equitysecurities,includingrealestateinvestmenttrusts(REITS),andincludingoptions,futures,structurednotesor

Yes

Yes

other derivatives on equities

 

 

Fixed income

 

 

 

 

 

Corporateandmunicipalbondsecurities,includingoptions,futuresorotherderivatives

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

US Treasurysecurities and other obligations backed by the full faith and credit of the US government

No

No

 

 

 

US government agency debt obligations that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the US government (such as

Yes

Yes

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal Farm Credit Banks and Tennessee Valley Authority)

 

 

Non-USgovernmentsecurities,andoptions,futuresorotherderivativesonthesesecurities.

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Moneymarketinstruments,suchascertificatesofdepositandcommercialpaper

No

No

 

 

 

Other types of assets

 

 

 

 

 

Initialandsubsequentinvestments(includingcapitalcalls)inanyprivateplacementorotherunregisteredsecurities (including real estate limited partnerships or cooperatives)

Private MFS stock and private shares of Sun Life of Canada (US) Financial Services Holdings, Inc. Limitedofferings,IPOs,secondaryofferings

Derivatives(such as options, futures or swaps) onsecurity indexes

Derivatives(suchasoptions,futuresorswaps)oncommoditiesandcurrencies,includingvirtualcurrencies

Other types of transactions

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Only if notified by

 

Compliance

 

 

No

No

 

 

 

Giftsofsecurities,includingcharitabledonations,transfersofownership,andinheritances

Yes

No

¹

Page 8

Terms with special meanings

Within this policy, the following terms carry the specific meanings indicated below.

contract for difference A contract for difference (CFD) is a contract between an investor and an investment bank or a spread-betting firm. At the end of the contract, the parties exchange the difference between the opening and closing prices of a specified financial instrument, including shares or commodities.

involuntary transaction Transactions that are not under your direct or indirect influence or control, such as inheritances, gifts received, automatic investment plans, dividends and dividend reinvestments, corporate actions (such as stock splits, reverse splits, mergers, consolidations, spin-offs and reorganizations), exercise of a conversion or redemption right or automatic expiration of an option.

reportable funds Any fund for which MFS acts as investment advisor, sub-advisor, or principal underwriter including MFS retail funds, MFS Variable Insurance Trust and MFS Meridian funds. See the iComply system Policies & Procedures page for a current list of reportable funds.

Page 8

MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PUBLIC SIDE1

CODE OF ETHICS AND PERSONAL TRADING GUIDELINES

Effective Date: December 12, 2019

1Excluding Private Side Employees and AIP Private Markets Employees. These employees should consult the IM Private Side Employee Trading and Investing Policy and the IM Private Side Code of Ethics .

 

 

Table of Contents2

 

I.

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................

3

 

A.

General.............................................................................................................................................

3

 

B.

Standards of Business Conduct......................................................................................................

3

 

C.

Overview of Code Requirements ...................................................................................................

3

 

D.

Definitions........................................................................................................................................

4

 

E.

Grounds for Disqualification from Employment .........................................................................

8

II.

TYPES OF ACCOUNTS/ACCOUNT OPENING REQUIREMENTS.......................

8

 

A.

Employee Securities Accounts .......................................................................................................

8

 

B.

Fully Managed Account* ...............................................................................................................

9

 

C.

Other Morgan Stanley Accounts .................................................................................................

10

 

E.

Individual Savings Accounts ("ISAs") for employees of MSIM Ltd. .......................................

10

 

F.

Mutual Fund Accounts .................................................................................................................

10

 

G.

Issuer Purchase Plans .............................................................................................................................

11

 

H.

Investment Clubs.....................................................................................................................................

11

 

I.

529 Plans ...................................................................................................................................................

11

III.

TRADE PRE-CLEARANCE/RESTRICTIONS..........................................................

11

 

A.

General...........................................................................................................................................

11

 

B.

Initiating a Transaction ..........................................................................................................................

11

 

C.

Pre-Clearance Valid for One Day Only ...............................................................................................

12

 

D.

Restrictions and Requirements for Portfolio Managers and Investment Personnel ...............

12

 

E.

Employees Designated to be "Abovethe Wall" ..................................................................................

12

 

F.

Transacting in Morgan Stanley Securities...........................................................................................

12

 

G.

Trading Derivatives ......................................................................................................................

13

 

H.

Other Restrictions .........................................................................................................................

14

 

I.

Other Activities Requiring Pre-Clearance ..........................................................................................

14

IV.

HOLDING REQUIREMENTS AND REPURCHASE LIMITATIONS........................

15

 

A.

Proprietary and Sub-advised Mutual Funds.......................................................................................

15

 

B.

Covered Securities...................................................................................................................................

15

 

C.

Holding Requirements Specific to MSIMJ Employees......................................................................

15

 

D.

Holding Requirements Specific to HK Type 9 licensed Employees .................................................

15

V.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS........................................................................................

15

 

A.

Initial Reporting and Certification .......................................................................................................

15

 

B.

Quarterly Reporting and Certification .......................................................................................

16

 

C.

Annual Reporting and Certification............................................................................................

17

VI.

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS .....................................

17

 

A.

Approval to Engage in an Outside Activity ................................................................................

17

 

B.

Approval to Invest in a Private Investment ................................................................................

18

 

C.

Pre-Clearance Process ..................................................................................................................

18

VII.

CONSULTANTS AND TEMPORARY WORKERS..................................................

19

VIII.

REVIEW, INTERPRETATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS.............................................

19

IX.

ENFORCEMENT AND SANCTIONS................................................................................

19

X.

RELATED POLICIES ...................................................................................................

20

2Previous versions: August 16, 2002, February 24, 2004, June 15, 2004, December 31, 2004, December 15, 2006, May 12, 2008 , August 19, 2010, September 17, 2010, February 15, 2011, March 1, 2011, September 28, 2011, June 29, 2012, September 16, 2013, October 10, 2014, March 26, 2016, December 7, 2017, December 12, 2018, and December 11, 2019.

2

I.INTRODUCTION3

A. General

The Morgan Stanley Investment Management ("MSIM") Public Side Code of Ethics (the "Code") is reasonably designed to prevent legal, business and ethical conflicts, to guard against the misuse of confidential information, and to avoid even the appearance of impropriety that may arise in connection with your personal trading and outside activities as an MSIM employee. It is very important for you to read the "Definitions" section below to understand the scope of this Code, including the individuals, accounts, securities and transactions it covers. You are required to acknowledge receipt and your understanding of this Code at the start of your employment at MSIM or when you become a Covered Person, as defined below, and annually thereafter.

B. Standards of Business Conduct

MSIM seeks to comply with the Federal securities laws and regulations applicable to its business. The Code is designed to assist you in fulfilling your regulatory and fiduciary duties as an MSIM employee as they relate to your personal securities transactions.

Fiduciary Duties. As an MSIM employee, you owe a fiduciary duty to MSIM's

Clients. This means that in every decision relating to personal investments, you must recognize the needs and interests of Clients and place those ahead of any personal interest or interest of the Firm.

Personal Securities Transactions and Relationship to MSIM's Clients. MSIM generally prohibits you from engaging in personal trading in a manner that would distract you from your daily responsibilities. MSIM strongly encourages you to invest for the long term and discourages short-term, speculative trading. You are cautioned that short-term strategies may attract a higher level of regulatory and other scrutiny. Excessive or inappropriate trading that interferes with job performance or that compromises the duty that MSIM owes to its Clients will not be tolerated.

If you become aware that you or someone else may have violated any aspect of this Code, you must report the suspected violation to Compliance immediately.

C. Overview of Code Requirements

Compliance with the Code is a matter of understanding its basic requirements and making sure the steps you take regarding activities covered by the Code are in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Code. Generally, you have the following obligations:

3This Code is intended to fulfill MSIM's requirements under Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act") and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the

"Company Act"). Note that there is a separate Code of Ethics for the Morgan Stanley mutual fund family.

3

Activity

Code Requirements

Employee Securities Account(s)

Pre-clearance, Reporting

Personal Trading Reporting

Pre-clearance, Holding, Reporting

Participating in an Outside Activity

Pre-clearance, Reporting

Making a Private Investment

Pre-clearance, Reporting

You must examine the specific provisions of the Code for more details on each of these activities and are strongly urged to consult with Compliance if you have any questions.

D. Definitions

These definitions are here to help you understand the application of the Code to various activities undertaken by you and other persons related to you who may be covered by the Code. The definitions are an integral part of the Code and a proper understanding of them is essential. Refer back to these definitions as you read the Code.

"Access Persons" (for purposes of transacting in Morgan Stanley securities) is defined in the Global Employee Trading, Investing and Outside Business Activities Policy and means those individuals or divisions that, as part of their job function may receive or have access to Morgan Stanley-related material non-public information that is recurring or cyclical in nature.

"Broad-Based Exchange-Traded Funds ("ETFs")" for purposes of this Code, means exchanged-traded funds with at least US $1 Billion in assets under management that the IM Compliance Department has found to be sufficiently broad-based in the scope of their investment strategy and holdings so as to not to require pre-clearance. See Appendix A for a link to the current list of Broad-Based ETFs.

"Client" means shareholders or limited partners of registered and unregistered investment companies and other investment vehicles, institutional, high net worth and retail separate account clients, employee benefit trusts and all other types of clients advised by MSIM.

"Compliance" means your local Compliance group (New York, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Mumbai).

"Consultant" means a non-employee of MSIM who falls under the definition of a Covered Person.

"Covered Persons" means:

All MSIM Employees;

All directors and officers of MSIM;

Any person (such as certain consultants, leased workers or temporary workers) who provides investment advice to clients on behalf of MSIM, is subject to the supervision and control of MSIM or who has access to nonpublic information regarding any

4

Client's purchase or sale of securities, or who is involved in making securities recommendations to Clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic.

Any person with responsibilities related to MSIM or who supports MSIM as a business and has frequent interaction with Covered Persons or Investment Personnel, as determined by Compliance.

Any other persons falling within the definition of "Access Person" under Rule 17j-1 of the Company Act or Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act (such as those supervised persons who have access to nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of a client fund) and such other persons that may be so deemed by Compliance from time to time.

The definition of "Covered Person" may vary by location. Contact Compliance if you have any question as to your status as a Covered Person.

"Covered Securities" includes generally:

All equity or debt securities, including derivatives of securities (such as options, warrants and American depositary receipts):

Futures;

Commodities;

Securities indices;

Exchange-traded funds (excluding Broad-Based ETFs);

Open-end mutual funds for which MSIM acts as adviser or sub-adviser (including those funds that consist of Exempt Securities as listed in Schedule A)(but excluding stable NAV Money Market Funds4);

Closed-end funds;

Corporate and municipal bonds, and similar instruments.

Covered Securities does not include "Exempt Securities," as defined below. Refer to Schedule A for application of the Code to various security types.

"Employee" means an MSIM employee as well as his/her spouse or domestic partner, dependents and other persons for whom the employee, employee's spouse or domestic partner contributes substantial financial support.

"Employee Securities Accounts" are any accounts in your own name and other accounts you could be expected to influence or control, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, whether for securities or other financial instruments, and that are capable of holding Covered Securities, whether or not such capability is utilized. Employee Securities Accounts include:

4Stable NAV Money Market Funds is defined in the Money Market Funds Policy and Procedures (Rule 2a-7)).

5

accounts owned by you;

accounts owned by your spouse or domestic partner;

accounts owned by your children or other relatives of you or your spouse or domestic partner who reside in the same household as you or to whom you contribute substantial financial support (e.g., a child in college that is claimed as a dependent on your income tax return or who receives health benefits through you);

accounts where you obtain benefits substantially equivalent to ownership of securities;

accounts that you or the persons described above could be expected to influence or control, such as:

joint accounts;

family accounts;

retirement accounts;

corporate accounts;

trust accounts for which you act as trustee where you have the power to effect investment decisions or that you otherwise guide or influence;

arrangements similar to trust accounts that benefit you directly;

accounts for which you act as custodian; and

partnership accounts.

"Exempt Securities" are securities that are not subject to the pre-clearance or holding requirements but are subject to reporting requirements of the Code and can be reported via the Reportable Accounts Disclosure System .  Examples of Exempt Securities requiring disclosure include:

Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper;

Investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements (which for these purposes are repurchase agreements and any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of fewer than 366 days that is rated in one of the two highest categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization);

Direct obligations of the U.S. Government5;

Shares held in money market funds;

Variable insurance products that invest in funds for which MSIM does not act as adviser or sub-adviser;

Open-end mutual funds for which MSIM does not act as adviser or sub-adviser; and

4Includes securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government for the timely payment of principal and interest, such as Ginnie Maes, U.S. savings bonds, and U.S. Treasuries, and equivalent securities issued by non-U.S. governments.

6

Broad-Based ETFs.

Refer to Schedule A for application of the Code to various security types and additional requirements for Morgan Stanley Asia Limited employees who hold a Hong Kong Type 9 license.

"Firm" means Morgan Stanley, MSIM's parent company.

"Fully Managed Account" means an account (including fully managed Individual Savings Accounts ("ISAs") and an account managed on a discretionary basis by a professional financial adviser or investment adviser (e.g., a robo adviser)) for which an MSIM employee has authorized a professional financial advisor or investment manager, in its sole discretion, to acquire and dispose of assets held in the account. The MSIM employee may not make, directly or indirectly, any investment decision, be made aware of any such decisions before transactions are executed by the advisor or manager, or otherwise direct the advisor or manager to effect any transactions in the account. A Fully Managed Account is not considered an Employee Securities Account.

"Hong Kong Type 9 License Holder" means MSIM public side Investment Personnel housed in Hong Kong entity Morgan Stanley Asia Limited who holds a Hong Kong Type 9 license.

"Investment Personnel" means (i) MSIM employees and any other Covered Persons who obtain or have access to information concerning investment recommendations made to any Client; and (ii) any persons designated as Investment Personnel by Compliance.

"IPO" means an initial public offering of equity securities registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or a foreign financial regulatory authority.

"Morgan Stanley Broker" means a broker-dealer affiliated with Morgan Stanley.

"Morgan Stanley Investment Management" or "MSIM" means the companies and businesses comprising Morgan Stanley's Investment Management Division, but not including the Private Side. See Schedule B for a list of those legal entities that comprise MSIM for purposes of the Code.

"Morgan Stanley securities" means equity, preferred and debt securities issued by Morgan Stanley, but excludes structured products, such as equity-linked or credit- linked notes.

"Mutual Funds" means (i) all open-end mutual funds; and (ii) similar pooled investment vehicles established in non-U.S. jurisdictions, such as registered investment trusts in Japan. For purposes of the Code, Mutual Fund does not include shares of open-end money market mutual funds (unless otherwise advised by Compliance).

"Outside Activity" means any organized or business activity conducted by a MSIM employee outside of MSIM. This includes, but is not limited to, participation on a board of directors or advisory board, including that of a charitable organization, working part-

7

time outside of MSIM, establishing a holding company for investments, establishing an LLC that invests in rental properties, or forming a limited partnership.

"Portfolio Managers" means MSIM employees who are primarily responsible for the day- to-day management of a Client portfolio.

"Private Investment" means a securities offering that is exempt from registration under certain provisions of the U.S. securities laws and/or similar laws of non-U.S. jurisdictions. It includes investments in hedge funds, private equity funds, limited partnerships, real estate, peer to peer lending clubs and private businesses.

"Proprietary or  Sub-advised   Mutual Fund " means any open-end Mutual Fund for which MSIM acts as investment adviser or sub-adviser.

"Research Analysts" are MSIM employees who are assigned to make investment recommendations to, or for the benefit of, any Client portfolio.

E. Grounds for Disqualification from Employment

Pursuant to the terms of Section 9 of the Company Act, no director, officer or employee of MSIM may become, or continue to remain, an officer, director or employee of MSIM without an exemptive order issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, if such director, officer or employee:

within the past ten years has been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor (i) involving the purchase or sale of any security; or (ii) arising out of his or her conduct as an underwriter, broker, dealer, investment adviser, municipal securities dealer, government securities broker, government securities dealer, transfer agent, or entity or person required to be registered under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, or as an affiliated person, salesman or employee of any investment company, bank, insurance company or entity or person required to be registered under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act; or

is or becomes permanently or temporarily enjoined by any court from: (i) acting as an underwriter, broker, dealer, investment adviser, municipal securities dealer, government securities broker, government securities dealer, transfer agent, or entity or person required to be registered under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act, or as an affiliated person, salesman or employee of any investment company, bank, insurance company or entity or person required to be registered under the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act; or (ii) engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with any such activity or in connection with the purchase or sale of any security.

You are obligated to immediately report any conviction or injunction described here to Compliance.

II.TYPES OF ACCOUNTS/ACCOUNT OPENING REQUIREMENTS A. Employee Securities Accounts

8

Generally, you must maintain all Employee Securities Accounts that may invest in Covered Securities at a Morgan Stanley Broker or a Firm-approved third party broker. Requirements may vary in non-U.S. offices. New MSIM employees or newly designated Covered Persons must disclose their account(s) within 30 calendar days of hire and transfer their Employee Securities Account(s) to a Morgan Stanley Broker/Firm-approved third party broker as applicable in non-US jurisdictions, at their own expense, as soon as practicable (generally within 60 calendar days of becoming a Covered Person). Failure to do so is considered a significant violation of this Code.

Opening a Morgan Stanley Brokerage Account. When opening an account, you must notify the Morgan Stanley Broker that you are an Employee and that your account must be coded as an employee or employee-related account.

B. Fully Managed Account*

You may open a Fully Managed Account if the account meets the standards set forth below. In certain circumstances and with approval from Compliance, you may appoint non-Morgan Stanley managers (e.g., trust companies, banks or registered investment advisers) to manage your account.

In order to establish a Fully Managed Account, you must grant the manager complete investment discretion over your account. Pre-clearance is not required for trades in this account; however, you may not participate, directly or indirectly, in individual investment decisions or be made aware of such decisions before transactions are executed. This restriction does not preclude you from establishing investment guidelines for the manager, such as indicating industries in which you desire to invest, the types of securities you want to purchase or your overall investment objectives. However, those guidelines may not be changed so frequently as to give the appearance that you are actually directing account investments. To the extent that you become aware of a proposed transaction by the manager in these types of accounts or have personally directed or asked another person to direct trades in these accounts, you are required to pre-clear the transaction prior to execution of the trade by the manager. If the account is managed by a Firm other than Morgan Stanley, you must submit a request in the Outside Business Interests System  (the "OBI System")  and arrange for duplicate copies of trade confirmations and statements to be sent to Compliance.

Annually, MSIM employees will be required to attest that they have not made, directly or indirectly, any individual investment decision related to such managed account(s), nor have they directed another person to make such investments without first pre-clearing those transactions in accordance with Section III.

*Pursuant to local regulation, employees of MSIM Private Limited and IM Public Side employees of the Global In-house Centers as listed in Schedule B are prohibited from opening fully managed accounts.

9

C. Other Morgan Stanley Sponsored Accounts6

You do not have to pre-clear participation in Morgan Stanley Sponsored Accounts with Compliance. However, you must disclose participation in any of these plans as part of the quarterly reporting process upon initial participation, and in annual certifications.

Examples of Morgan Stanley Sponsored Accounts include, but are not limited to, the following:

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) (no new contributions)

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Employee Incentive Compensation Plan (EICP)

Morgan Stanley Compensation Incentive Program (MSCIP)

Morgan Stanley 401(k) (401(k) Plan)

D. Non-Morgan Stanley Accounts

Exceptions to the requirement to maintain Employee Securities Accounts at a Morgan Stanley Broker are rare and require Compliance approval. If your request is approved, you will be required to ensure that duplicate confirmations and statements are sent to Compliance. Requirements may vary in non-U.S. offices.

If you open an outside account without obtaining the required Compliance pre-approval, you must immediately disclose it to Compliance. You may be required to close such account.

Maintaining a non-Morgan Stanley 401(k) plan or similar account that permits you to trade covered securities must be approved by Compliance.

E.Individual Savings Accounts ("ISAs") for employees of MSIM Ltd.

Fully Managed ISAs (i.e., an independent manager makes the investment decisions) may be established and maintained without the prior approval of Compliance, provided that you exercise no influence or control on stock selection or other investment decisions. Non-discretionary ISAs (including single company ISAs), where you make investment decisions, may only be established and maintained as long as the account is pre-approved by Compliance, duplicate statements are supplied to Compliance and applicable reporting requirements are met. Once a Fully Managed ISA is established, it must be disclosed to Compliance in the OBI System.

F. Mutual Fund Accounts

You may open an account for the purpose of transacting in open-end Mutual Funds,

6The definition of Morgan Stanley Sponsored Accounts does not include Employee Securities Accounts

10

including Sub-Advised and Proprietary Mutual Funds (i.e., an account directly with a fund transfer agent) without prior approval from Compliance; however, these accounts are subject to reporting requirements of the Code and should be reported via the Reportable Accounts Disclosure System .

G. Issuer Purchase Plans

You may open an account directly with an issuer to purchase its shares, such as a dividend reinvestment plan, or "DRIP," by submitting the DRIP Form to your local Compliance group and pre-clearing the initial purchase and any sales. You must also report DRIP holdings to Compliance as part of the annual certificationprocess.

H. Investment Clubs

You may not participate in or solicit transactions on behalf of investment clubs in which members pool their funds to make investments in securities or other financial products.

I. 529 Plans

You do not have to obtain approval from Compliance to participate in a 529 plan; however, these plans should be reported via the Reportable Accounts Disclosure System .

III.TRADE PRE-CLEARANCE/RESTRICTIONS A. General

You are required to pre-clear all personal securities transactions in Covered Securities, other than transactions in Proprietary or Sub-advised Mutual Funds. Transactions involving Exempt Securities, including Proprietary and Sub-Advised Mutual Funds, do not require pre-clearance. Should an employee be made aware of a proposed transaction in a Fully Managed account or have personally directed, or asked another person to direct a trade in a Fully Managed account, the employee is required to pre-clear that trade prior to execution. See the Securities Transaction Matrix attached as Schedule A for additional information about when pre-clearance is required. In keeping with the general principles and objectives of the Code, Compliance, in its sole discretion, may refuse to grant approval of a personal securities transaction, without specifying a reason for the refusal.

Personal trade requests will be denied if there is an open order for any Client in the same security or related security at the time the personal trade request is submitted. Exceptions are granted if the Covered Security is being purchased or sold for a passively-managed index fund or index portfolio.

Any transaction that is prohibited by the Code may be required to be reversed and any profits (or any differential between the sale price of the personal security transaction and the subsequent purchase or sale price by a Client during the relevant period) subject to disgorgement. See "Enforcement and Sanctions" below.

B. Initiating a Transaction

11

Pre-clearance is obtained by entering your trade request into the Trade Pre-Clearance system (type "IMTPC/" into your intranet browser). Upon completion of the necessary checks and approval workflows, you will receive a system generated email notification advising whether your trade request has been approved or rejected..

C. Pre-Clearance Valid for One Day Only

If your trade request is approved, such approval is valid only for the day on which it is granted7. Any transaction not completed on that day will require a new approval. This means that open orders, such as limit orders and stop-loss orders, must be pre-cleared each day until the transaction is effected. 8

D. Restrictions and Requirements for Portfolio Managers and Investment Personnel

No purchase or sale transaction may be made in any Covered Security or a related investment (i.e., derivatives) by a Portfolio Manager for a period of seven calendar days before or seven calendar days after the Portfolio Manager purchases or sells the security on behalf of a Client. A Portfolio Manager may request an exception from the blackout period if the Covered Security was traded for an index fund or indexportfolio.

Investment Personnel who have knowledge of a Portfolio Manager's trading activity are subject to the same seven day blackout period. Investment Personnel must obtain approval from their manager or his/her designee prior to obtaining pre-clearance by Compliance.

E. Employees Designated to be "Above the Wall"

MSIM employees in the MSIM Legal and Compliance Division and the MSIM Global Risk

&Analysis are designated to be "Above the Wall" ("ATW") and their personal securities transactions are subject to additional pre-clearance checks with the Control Group. Other employees may also be subject to the ATW checks as deemed necessary by Compliance.

F. Transacting in Morgan Stanley Securities

Transacting in, including the gifting of, Morgan Stanley securities must take place during designated window periods. Consult MS Today for the window period announcement prior to trading. Except as noted below for Access Persons, if you are transacting in Morgan Stanley securities through a brokerage account, you are not required to pre-clear the transaction with Compliance. Similarly, you do not have to pre-clear transactions in Morgan Stanley securities sold out of your Morgan Stanley Sponsored Accounts. All other holding and reporting requirements for Covered Securities still apply.

7The day that you receive an email informing you that the trade request was approved.

8In the case of trades in international markets where the market has already closed, transactions must be executed by the next close of trading in that market.

12

As noted above, transactions in Morgan Stanley securities effected by MSIMJ employees are subject to a six month holding period.

Additional Restrictions for Access Persons Transacting in Morgan Stanley Securities. All transactions in Morgan Stanley securities must occur during the designated 30-day open window period each quarter. Compliance communicates the open and closed window periods applicable to Access Persons each quarter. During an open window period, Access Persons are required to pre-clear transactions in Morgan Stanley securities through the trade preclearance system, IMTPC. This includes transactions made in the Morgan Stanley stock fund of the 401(k) Plan or shares held externally from previous Firm-sponsored plans (e.g., Computershare, Equiniti).

Positions in Morgan Stanley securities must be held for a minimum of 30 calendar days. A six-month holding period applies to the Firm's Management and Operating Committee members for positions in Morgan Stanley securities. Shares received as part of equity- based compensation are exempt from the holding period requirements. You are prohibited from buying or selling Morgan Stanley securities if you are in possession of material, non- public information regarding Morgan Stanley.

G. Trading Derivatives

You may not trade futures, forward contracts, including currency forwards, physical commodities and related derivatives, over-the-counter warrants or swaps. You are prohibited from selling ("writing") a put. The following is a list of permitted options trading:

Call Options

Listed Call Options. You may purchase a listed call option if the call option has a "period to expiration" of at least 30 calendar days from the date of purchase and you hold the call option for at least 30 calendar days prior to sale. If you choose to exercise the option, you must also hold the underlying security delivered pursuant to the exercise for 30 calendar days.

Covered Calls. You may also sell (or "write") a call option only if you have held the underlying security (in the corresponding amount) for at least 30 calendar days.

Put Options

Listed Put Options. You may purchase a listed put option if the put option has a "period to expiration" of at least 30 calendar days from the date of purchase and you hold the put option forat least 30 calendar days prior to sale. If you purchase a put option on a security you already own, you may exercise the put once you have held the underlying security for 30 calendar days. If you purchase a put on a security that you do not own, you may not exercise the put; and must sell the option prior to its expiration date.

You must obtain pre-clearance from Compliance to exercise an option or purchase or sell an option.

13

H. Other Restrictions

Primary and Secondary Public Offerings. You and your Employee Securities Account(s) are generally prohibited from purchasing any equity security in an initial or secondary/follow on public offering. In addition, unless otherwise notified by Compliance, you may not purchase an equity security that is part of a primary or secondary public offering that the Firm is underwriting or selling until the distribution has been completed. This restriction does not apply to rights issuances to which Employee Securities Accounts would be entitled with regard to their existing holdings. Note that this restriction also applies to your immediate family, regardless of whether the securities are purchased into an Employee Securities Account.

Purchases of new issue debt are permitted, provided such purchases are pre-cleared by Compliance and meet other relevant requirements of the Code.

Short Sales. You may not engage in short selling of Covered Securities.

Restricted List. You may not transact in Covered Securities that appear on the Firmwide Restricted List. Please check the Restricted List at the time of submitting a TPC request. Cross Trades: MSIM employees are not allowed to engage in cross trades or pre-arranged trades between MSIM funds or accounts and the MSIM employee's Security Accounts.

Changes to normal settlement cycles: Hong Kong Type 9 License Holders are not permitted to make changes to normal settlement cycle or delay settlement for any trades in Employee Security Accounts.

I. Other Activities Requiring Pre-Clearance

The following activities also require pre-clearance:

Outside Activities

Transactions in Private Investments

Political Contributions

J. Additional Large Trading Clearance for Employees in Asia Pacific and Japan

Before executing a securities transaction that exceeds USD 500,000 (or its currency equivalent) or where the cumulative value of current transaction and all transactions in the same issuer within a 30 day calendar window exceeds USD 500,000 (or its currency equivalent), all MSIM employees in Asia Pacific and Japan are required obtain additional large trade pre-clearance by completing the form in the policy link provided below and email a copy to "asialargetrades":

Additional Large Trade Clearance for Employee Trades in Asia Pacific

14

 Additional Large Trade Clearance for Employee Trades in Japan 

Please note this approval requirement is in addition to the Trade pre-clearance requirement via the TPC system referred to in Section B above.

IV. HOLDING REQUIREMENTS AND REPURCHASE LIMITATIONS

A. Proprietary and Sub-advised Mutual Funds

You may not redeem or exchange Proprietary or Sub-Advised Mutual Funds until at least 30 calendar days from the purchase trade date.

B. Covered Securities

You may not sell a Covered Security until you have held it for at least 30 calendar days. If you sell a Covered Security, you may not repurchase the same security for at least 30 calendar days.

C. Holding Requirements Specific to MSIMJ Employees

When selling equity and equity-linked notes, Covered Persons at MSIMJ must hold such instruments for at least six months; however, Compliance may grant an exception if the instruments are held for at least 30 calendar days from the date of purchase. This includes transactions in Morgan Stanley securities.

D. Holding Requirements Specific to HK Type 9License Holder Employees

All personal account investments (including Exempt Securities) made by Hong Kong Type 9 License Holders are required to be held for a minimum of 30 calendar days.

V.REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

A. Initial Reporting and Certification

When you commence employment with MSIM or otherwise become a Covered Person, you must provide an Initial Disclosure Form (the "Initial Report") to Compliance no later than 10 calendar days after you become a Covered Person. The information you provide must not be more than 45 calendar days old from the day you became a Covered Person and must include:

the title and type, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of any Covered Security;

the name of any broker-dealer, bank or financial institution where you maintain an account in which any securities are held;

15

any Outside Activities; and

the date you submitted the Initial Report.

All new Covered Persons will receive training on the principles and procedures of the Code. As a Covered Person, you must also certify that you have read, understand and agree to abide by the terms of the Code, including but not limited to, the disclosure of Outside Accounts, Outside activities and Private Investments that are required to be logged in the Outside Business Interest system within 30 calendar and the transfer or closure of the account within 60 days of hire. If you have any questions, contact your local Compliance group.

B. Quarterly Reporting and Certification

You must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report to Compliance no later than 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, or in accordance with regulatory requirements applicable to your region. The Quarterly Report must contain the information set forth below.

For transactions in an Employee Security Account during the previous quarter you must provide:

the date of the transaction, the title, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares and principal amount of any Covered Security;

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

the price of the security at which the transaction was effected;

the name of the broker-dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and

the date you submitted the Quarterly Report.

You do not have to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report if it would duplicate information provided in broker trade confirmations or account statements that Compliance already receives or may access.

For any new account established by you during the previous quarter in which any securities are held for your direct or indirect benefit, you must provide:

the name of the broker-dealer, bank or financial institution with which you established the account;

the date the account was established; and

16

the date you submitted the Quarterly Transaction Report.

A reminder to complete the Quarterly Transaction Report will be provided to you by Compliance.

C. Annual Reporting and Certification

You must update, as applicable, and certify to the following information on an annual basis (the "Annual Report"):

a list of your current Morgan Stanley brokerage account(s);

a list of all securities and principal amount beneficially owned by you in these account(s);

a list of all your approved Outside Activities, including non-Morgan Stanley brokerage accounts, Private Investments and Outside Activities;

a list of all other investments you hold outside of Morgan Stanley (such as DRIPs, other 401(k) accounts and any securities held in certificate form);

a list of broker-dealers, banks or financial institutions with which you maintain an account in which any securities are held; and

that you have not made, directly or indirectly, any individual investment decision related to such managed account(s), nor have you directed another person to make such investments without first pre-clearing those transactions in accordance with Section III.

The information in the Annual Report must not be more than 45 calendar days old from the day you submit it to Compliance. You must also certify that you have read and agree to abide by the requirements of the Code and that you are in compliance with the Code.

The link to the Annual Report will be provided to you by Compliance.

Hong Kong Type 9 License Holders are required to submit their holdings annually and semi- annually in October and April each year.

VI. OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND PRIVATE INVESTMENTS

A. Approval to Engage in an Outside Activity

You may not engage in any Outside Activity, regardless of whether or not you receive compensation or are asked to engage in such activity by the Firm, without prior approval from Compliance. If you receive approval, it is your responsibility to notify Compliance immediately if any conflict or potential conflict of interest arises in the course of the Outside Activity or if the nature of the activity changes, materially. In addition, and as part

17

of the Annual Certification of Employees, you are required to review/edit each disclosure for completeness and accuracy.

Examples of an Outside Activity include providing consulting services, organizing a company, giving a formal lecture or publishing a book or article, accepting compensation from any person or organization other than the Firm, serving as an officer, employee, director, partner, member, or advisory board member of a company or organization not affiliated with the Firm, whether or not related to the financial services industry (including charitable organizations or activities for which you do not receive compensation), setting up a holding company for investments or investing in rental properties. For U.S. registered Employees only, real estate investments that generate rental income require disclosure in the OBI System, unless the propertyis also used by the Employee as a primary, secondary or vacation residence. Generally, Compliance will not approve any Outside Activity related to the securities or financial services industry other than activities that reflect the interests of the industry as a whole and that are not in competition with those of the Firm.

In the case of employees of Morgan Stanley AIP GP LP ("AIP"), where serving on an advisory board for a company in which AIP invests is part of the AIP employee's roles and responsibilities as an employee of AIP, such service shall not be considered an Outside Activity and approval via the OBI System is not required. The relevant senior business managers are responsible for approving Employees to serve on advisory boards, documenting such approvals, maintaining a list of such Employees, and reviewing the list in consultation with the relevant Compliance officers at least annually.

A request to serve on the board of any company, particularly the board of a public company, will be granted in very limited instances only. If you receive approval, your directorship may be subject to the implementation of information barrier procedures to isolate you from making investment decisions for Clients concerning the company in question, as applicable.

B. Approval to Invest in a Private Investment

You may not invest in a Private Investment of any kind without prior approval from Compliance. Private Investments include investments in privately held corporations, limited partnerships, tax shelter programs, hedge funds (including those sponsored by Morgan Stanley or its affiliates), and holding companies (i.e. LLC, LP, S-Corp, C-Corp, etc.).

For SG-licensed employees, it is prohibited to conduct (by way of outside activity or private investment) the following non-financial advisory activities:

-Carrying on moneylending business

-Organising, promoting or conducting any casino marketing arrangement

-Being involved in the real estate agency business

-Marketing any investment that is not an investment product

C. Pre-Clearance Process

18

You may request pre-clearance of Outside Activities and Private Investments by typing

"OBI" into your intranet browser.

VII. CONSULTANTS AND TEMPORARY WORKERS

Consultants and other temporary workers who fall under the definition of a Covered Person by virtue of their duties and responsibilities with MSIM must adhere to the following:

Initial, quarterly and annual reporting;

Provision of duplicate trade confirmations and account statements to Compliance for transactions in any Covered Security;

Prohibition against participating in any IPOs;

Pre-clearance of Outside Activities and Private Investments.

Certain Consultants or temporary workers may be required to pre-clear all personal securities transactions in Covered Securities. Consultants or temporary workers that are hired for positions lasting more than one year or are otherwise classified as a Covered Person by their assignment contacts/managers or Complinace are required to transfer brokerage accounts to a Morgan Stanley Broker or Firm approved third party broker as applicable to the respective jurisdiction.

VIII. REVIEW, INTERPRETATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

Compliance is responsible for administering the Code and reviewing your Initial, Quarterly and Annual Reports. Compliance has the authority to make final decisions regarding Code policies and may grant an exception to a policy as long as it determines that no abuse or potential abuse is involved. Exceptions are granted only in rare and unusual circumstances, such as financial hardship. You must contact Compliance with any questions regarding the applicability, meaning or administration of the Code, including requests for an exception, in advance of any contemplated transaction.

IX. ENFORCEMENT AND SANCTIONS

Violations of the Code are reported to the Head of MSIM Compliance and senior management and, on a quarterly basis, to the applicable funds' board of directors. We may issue letters of warning/education or impose sanctions as appropriate, including notifying your manager, issuing a reprimand (orally or in writing), restricting your trading privileges, reducing your discretionary bonus, if any, requiring reversal of a trade made in violation of the Code or other applicable policies, or taking other disciplinary action, including, but not limited to, suspension or termination of your employment. Violations are considered on a cumulative basis. The foregoing sanctions are intended to be guidelines only. Compliance, in its discretion, may recommend alternative actions if deemed warranted by the facts and

19

circumstances of each situation. MSIM management, including the Head of MSIM Compliance, is authorized to determine the choice of actions to be taken in specific cases.

Sanctions may vary based on applicable law and regulatory requirements in your jurisdiction.

X.RELATED POLICIES

In addition to this Code, you are also subject to the policies and procedures documented in the Compliance Manual applicable to your region; the Global Employee Trading Investing and Outside Business Activities Policy; the Morgan Stanley Code of Conduct; the Global Confidential and Material Non-Public Information Policy; the Policy on U.S. Political Contributions and Activities; and the IM Global Gifts, Entertainment and Charitable Giving Policy (requirements may vary in non-U.S. offices).

20

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

SECURITIES TRANSACTION MATRIX

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Clearance

Reporting

30 Calendar days

TYPE OF SECURITY

Required

Required

Holding

(via TPC)

 

Period

 

 

 

 

 

Required

Covered Securities

 

 

 

Pooled Investment Vehicles:

 

 

 

Closed-End Funds

Yes

Yes

Yes

Open-End Mutual Funds advised by

No

Yes

Yes

MSIM

 

 

 

Open-End Mutual Funds sub-advised by

No

Yes

Yes

MSIM

 

 

 

Money Market Funds with Stable NAV

No

Yes

No

Unit Investment Trusts

No

Yes

No

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) (other

Yes

Yes

Yes

than Broad-Based ETFs)

 

 

 

Broad-Based ETFs9

No

Yes

Yes

Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Hedge Funds

Yes

Yes

Yes

Equities:

 

 

 

Morgan Stanley securities10

No

Yes

Yes

Common Stocks

Yes

Yes

Yes

Listed depository receipts e.g.

Yes

Yes

Yes

ADRs, ADSs, GDRs

 

 

 

DRIPs11

Yes

Yes

Yes

Stock Splits

No

Yes

No

Rights

Yes

Yes

Yes

Stock Dividend

No

Yes

No

Warrants (Listed and Exercised)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Preferred Stock

Yes

Yes

Yes

Listed Real Estate Investment Trusts

Yes

Yes

Yes

(REITs)

 

 

 

Initial Public Offerings (equity IPOs)

 

PROHIBITED

 

and Secondary/ Follow on offerings

 

 

 

 

 

Private Investments in Public Equity

 

PROHIBITED

 

Securities (PIPES)

 

 

 

 

 

Derivatives:

 

 

 

Morgan Stanley (stock options)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Common Stock Options

Yes

Yes

Yes

Forward Contracts (including currency

 

PROHIBITED

 

forwards)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9Employees must refer to a list of Broad-Based ETFs which may be found here .

10Employees may transact in Morgan Stanley securities during designated window periods. In addition, the pre-clearance of transactions in Morgan Stanley securities is required for all Access Persons.

11Automatic purchases for dividend reinvestment plan are not subject to pre-approval requirements.

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Commodities Contracts

 

PROHIBITED

 

OTC warrants or swaps

 

PROHIBITED

 

Futures

 

PROHIBITED

 

Fixed Income Instruments:

 

 

 

Fannie Mae

Yes

Yes

Yes

Freddie Mac

Yes

Yes

Yes

Corporate Bonds

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

 

Convertible Bonds (converted)

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

 

Municipal Bonds

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

 

New Issues (fixed income)

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

 

High Yield Securities

 

PROHIBITED

 

 

 

 

 

Private Investments (e.g. limited

Yes

Yes

N/A

partnerships)

 

 

 

Private Investments and Outside Activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Private Investments (e.g., limited

Yes (via OBI)

Yes

N/A

partnerships)

 

 

 

Outside Activities

Yes (via OBI)

Yes

N/A

 

 

 

 

Investment Clubs

PROHIBITED

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exempt Securities:

 

 

 

Mutual Funds (open-end) not

No

Yes

No*

advised or sub-advised by MSIM

 

 

(Except for Hong

 

 

 

Kong SFC Type 9

US Treasury/Sovereign Debt12

No

Yes

 

 

 

licensed employees

Brokerage CDs

No

Yes

as 30 calendar days

 

 

 

Money Market Funds

No

Yes

holding period is

 

 

 

GNMA

No

Yes

required for all

 

 

 

Commercial Paper

No

Yes

personal account

 

 

 

Bankers' Acceptances

No

Yes

investments in

Investment Grade Short-Term Debt

No

Yes

securities including

Instruments13

 

 

exempt securities

 

 

 

for such

 

 

 

employees)

 

 

 

 

12Sovereign debt securities rated AA or higher.

13For these purposes, repurchase agreements and any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of fewer than 366 days that is rated as investment grade by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.

* Yes: for Hong Kong SFC Type 9 licensed employees as 30 calendar day holding period is required for all personal account investments in securities including exempt securities

22

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT DIVISION

(Excluding Private Side)

Registered Investment Advisers

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc.

Morgan Stanley AIP GP LP

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Limited (MSIM Ltd.)

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Company (Singapore)

Registered Commodity Pool Operator/Commodity Trading Advisor

Ceres Managed Futures LLC

Investment Advisers that are not registered

Morgan Stanley Investment Management Private Limited (MSIM Private Limited) (with respect to Public Side Investment Management Employees only)

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (Australia) Pty Limited

Morgan Stanley Asia Limited (MSAL) (with respect to Public Side Investment Management Employees only)

Morgan Stanley Investment Management (Japan) Co., Ltd. (MSIMJ)

Private Investment Partners, Inc.

Broker-Dealer

Morgan Stanley Distribution Inc.

Transfer Agent

Morgan Stanley Services Company Inc.

Global In-house Centers (India)

Morgan Stanley Advantage Services Pvt. Ltd. (with respect to Public Side Investment Management Employees only)

Morgan Stanley Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (with respect to Investment Management Public Side Employees only)

Others:

MSIP Seoul Branch ("MSK") (with respect to Public Side Investment Management Employees only)

23

Nuveen Compliance | 26 August 2019

Code of Ethics

SUMMARY AND SCOPE

What the Code is about

Helping to ensure that Nuveen personnel place the interests of Nuveen clients ahead of their own personal interests.

Who the Code applies to and what the implications are

This Code applies to individuals in the following categories:

Nuveen Employees based in the US or Canada (except employees of Gresham Investment Management LLC, Westchester Group Investment Management, Inc., andany employees of Greenwood Resources, Inc. who are based outside of Portland, Oregon).

Employees of any US-registered investment adviser who are based outside the US, except Gresham Investment Management LLC and Greenwood Resources, Inc.

Consultants, interns, and temporary workers based in the US or Canada whose contract length is 90 days or more, unless the Nuveen Ethics Office determinesotherwise.

Any TIAA employees designated as Access Persons by the TIAA-CREF Funds Chief Compliance Officer or the Nuveen Ethics Office.

Independent directors and trustees of the TIAA-CREF Funds Complex and Nuveen-sponsored or -branded funds have their own Code of Ethics and are not subject to this one.

For individuals who are subject to the Code, there are two designations with different implications: Access Person and Investment Person.

ACCESS PERSON

All Nuveen Employees who are subject to the Code are considered Access Persons, since they have, or could have, access to non-public information about securities transactions and other investments, holdings, or recommendations for Affiliate-Advised Accounts or Portfolios.

Key characteristics of this designation. An individual may be considered an Access Person of multiple advisers affiliated with Nuveen, or of only one. If your regular duties give you access to non-public information, or you are an officer of a Nuveen or TIAA-CREF sponsored or branded fund, your personal trading is generally monitored only against the trading activity of the specific adviser(s) or Affiliated Funds

with which you are involved. For other employees, personal trading is typically monitored against the trading activities of all advisers affiliated with Nuveen. You will generally not be permitted to execute transactions in a security on any day when an Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio managed by the adviser(s) that you are monitored against has a pending buy or sell order for that security.

INVESTMENT PERSON

An Access Person who meets any of the following criteria will in addition be considered an Investment Person:

The Access Person is a Portfolio Manager, Research Analyst or Research Assistant, or they otherwise participate in making recommendations or decisions concerning the purchase or sale of securities in any Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio.

The Access Person has been designated an Investment Person by the Nuveen Ethics Office.

Key characteristics of this designation. The vast majority of Investment Persons are employees of Nuveen's affiliated investment advisers.

An Investment Person is prohibited from transacting in securities during the period starting 7 calendar days before, and ending 7 calendar days after, any trade in an Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio for which he/she has responsibility. In addition, an Investment Person's personal transactions will be reviewed for conflicts in the period starting 7 calendar days before, and ending 7 calendar days after, all trades by their associated investment adviser. In some cases, the Investment Person may be required to reverse a trade and/or forfeit an appropriate portion of any profit as determined by the Nuveen Ethics Office. These consequences can apply whether or not the trade was pre-cleared.

The personal trading of Investment Persons is generally only monitored against the trading activity of the specific adviser for which they have been designated an Investment Person.

Code of Ethics

 

Page 2 of 8

 

 

 

Important to understand

Some of our affiliated investment advisers may have policies of their own that impose additional rules on the same topics covered in this Code. Check with your manager or local/designated Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) if you have questions.

Personal trading is a privilege, not a right. Nuveen Employees are expected to follow the law and adhere to the highest standards of behavior—including with respect to personal trading. Any violation of the Code could have severe adverse effects on you, your co-workers, and Nuveen. You may be held personally liable for your conduct and be subject to fines, regulatory sanctions, and even criminal penalties. Because Nuveen can restrict your trading or take actions such as forcing you to hold a position or to disgorge profits, personal trading carries risks beyond normal market risks.

Some requirements in this Code apply to Household Members. Each Household Member (see "Terms with Special Meanings" at right) is subject to the same restrictions and requirements that apply to his/her related Nuveen Employee.

The Code does not address every ethical issue that might arise. If you have any doubt at all after consulting the Code, contact the Nuveen Ethics Office for direction.

The Code applies to appearance as well as substance. Always consider how any action might appear to an outside observer (such as a client or regulator).

You are expected to follow the Code both in letter and in spirit. Literal compliance, such as pre-clearing a transaction, does not necessarily protect you from liability for conduct that violates the spirit of the Code. If you have questions about how to comply with this Code, consult the Nuveen Ethics Office.

WHO TO CONTACT

Nuveen Ethics Office (Americas)

Hotline: 1-800-842-2733 extension 22-5599 nuveenethicsoffice@nuveen.com

TERMS WITH SPECIAL MEANINGS

Within this policy, these terms are defined as follows:

Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio Any Affiliated Fund, or any portfolio or client account advised or sub-advised by Nuveen.

Affiliated Fund Any TIAA-CREF or Nuveen branded or sponsored open-end fund, closed-end fund, or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), and any third-party fund advised or sub-advised by Nuveen.

Automatic Investment Plan Any program, such as a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP), under which investment account purchases or withdrawals occur according to a predetermined schedule and allocation.

Beneficial Ownership Any interest by which you or any Household Member—directly or indirectly—derives a monetary benefit from purchasing, selling, or owning a security or account, or exercises investment discretion.

You have Beneficial Ownership of securities held in accounts in your own name, or any Household Member's name, and in all other accounts over which you or any Household Member exercises or may exercise investment decision-making powers, or other influence or control, including trust, partnership, estate, and corporate accounts or other joint ownership or pooling arrangements.

Code This Code of Ethics.

Domestic Partner An individual who is neither a relative of or legally married to a Nuveen Employee, but shares a residence and is in a mutual commitment similar to marriage with such Nuveen Employee.

Federal Securities Laws The applicable portions of any of the following laws, as amended, and of any rules adopted under them by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Department of the Treasury:

Securities Act of 1933.

Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Investment Company Act of 1940.

Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

The Bank Secrecy Act.

Household Member Any of the following who reside, or are expected to reside for at least 90 days a year, in the same household as a Nuveen Employee:

Spouse or DomesticPartner. • Parent, stepparent,

• Sibling.

grandparent.

Child, stepchild, grandchild. • In-laws, (mother, father, son, daughter,

brother, sister).

Independent Director Any director or trustee of an Affiliated Fund who is not an "interested person" within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Managed Account Any account, including robo- advised accounts, in which you or a Household Member has Beneficial Ownership and for which you have delegated full investment discretion in writing to a third- party broker or investment manager.

Code of EthicsPage 3 of 8

TERMS WITH SPECIAL MEANINGS (continued)

Nuveen Nuveen, LLC and all of its direct or indirect

Reportable Security Any security EXCEPT:

subsidiaries worldwide.

• Direct obligations of the US government (indirect

Nuveen Employee Any full- or part-time employee of

 

obligations, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Nuveen, and any consultants, interns or temporary workers

 

securities, are reportable).

designated by the Nuveen Ethics Office.

• Certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, commercial

Private Placement Any offering exempt from registration

 

paper, and high quality short-term debt (including

under the Securities Act of 1933, such as a private equity

 

repurchase agreements).

investment, hedge fund, or limited partnership.

Money market funds.

Reportable Account Any account for which you or a

Open-end funds that are not Affiliated Funds.

Household Member has Beneficial Ownership AND in which

Note that closed-end funds are Reportable Securities.

securities can be bought or held. This includes, among others:

Reportable Transaction Any transaction involving a

• All Managed Accounts.

Reportable Security EXCEPT:

• Any Nuveen 401(k) plan account.

• Transactions in Managed Accounts. Section 16 Persons:

• Any 401(k) plan account from a previous employer that

 

Transactions involving Nuveen closed-end funds in any of

permits transactions in any Reportable Security.

 

 

your Managed Accounts are reportable.

• Any direct holding in an Affiliated Fund.

 

• Transactions under an Automatic Investment Plan; note

• Any retirement account or health savings account (HSA)

 

that transactions that override the pre-set schedule or

that permits the purchase of any Reportable Security, and

 

allocation are reportable.

any 529 college savings plan that permits the purchase of

Section 16 Person Section 16 of the Exchange Act and

Affiliated Funds.

the rules thereunder impose certain obligations on persons

The following are NOT considered Reportable Accounts:

specified in section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of

• Charitable giving accounts.

1940, as well as insiders of any public company that trades

• Any 401(k) plan account or any other account held

on a national stock exchange (such as a Nuveen closed-end

fund). For purposes of Section 16, an "insider" is:

directly with a mutual fund complex or mutual fund-only

• A director of a public company.

platform in which open-end, non-Affiliated Funds are the

 

 

only possible investment.

• A designated officer of a public company.

• Any cash management account with a broker in which a

• A person who beneficially owns 10% or more of any class

Reportable Security cannot be purchased or sold.

 

of equity security that is registered under Section 12 of

• Any accounts that can invest only in non-Reportable

 

 

the Exchange Act.

Securities, such as cryptocurrencies or US

 

 

 

• A portfolio manager of a Nuveen closed-end fund.

Treasury securities.

Persons subject to Section 16 include portfolio managers of

 

 

the Nuveen closed-end funds.

GENERAL RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

BASIC PRINCIPLES

1.Never abuse a client's trust, rights, or interests. This means you must never do any of the following:

Engage in any plan or action, or use any device, that would defraud or deceive a client.

Make any material statements of fact that are incorrect or misleading, either as to what they include or omit.

Engage in any manipulative practice.

Use your position (including any knowledge or access to opportunities you have gained by virtueof your position) to personal advantage or to a client's disadvantage. This would include, for example, front-running or tailgating (trading directly before or after the execution of a large client trade order), or any attempt to influence a client's trading to enhance the value of your personal holdings.

Conduct personal trading in any way that could be inconsistent with your fiduciary duties to a client (even if it does not technically violate theCode).

2.Handle conflicts of interest appropriately. This applies not only to actual conflicts of interest, but also to any situation that might appear to an outside observer to be improper or a breach of fiduciary duty.

3.Keep confidential information confidential. Always properly safeguard any confidential information you obtain in the course of your work. This includes confidential information related to any of the following:

Any Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio and any other financial product offered or serviced by Nuveen.

New products, product changes, or business initiatives.

Code of Ethics

 

Page 4 of 8

 

 

 

Past, current, and prospective clients, including their identities, investments, and account activity.

"Keeping information confidential" means using discretion in disclosing information as well as guarding against unlawful or inappropriate access by others. This includes:

Making sure no confidential information is visible on your computer screen and desk when you are not there.

Not sharing passwords with others.

Using caution when discussing business in any location where your conversation could beoverheard. Confidential information may be released only as required by law or as permitted under the applicable privacy policy(ies). Consult the Nuveen Ethics Office or your local/designated CCO before releasing any confidential information.

4.Handle Material Non-Public Information properly. Follow all of the terms described in "Material Non-Public Information" below. Be aware that any failure to handle such information properly is a serious offense and may lead to disciplinary action from Nuveen as well as serious civil or criminal liability.

5.Comply with Federal Securities Laws. Any violation of these laws is punishable as a violation of the Code.

6.Never do anything indirectly that, if done directly, would violate the Code. Such actions will be considered the equivalent of direct Code violations.

7.Promptly alert the Nuveen Ethics Office or your local/designated CCO of any actual or suspected wrongdoing. Examples of wrongdoing include violations of the Federal Securities Laws, misuse of corporate assets, misuse of confidential information, or other violations of the Code. If you prefer to report confidentially, call the TIAA Confidential Helpline at 1-877-774-6492. Note that failure to report suspected wrongdoing in a timely fashion is itself a violation of the Code.

PRE-CLEARANCE AND

HOLDING REQUIREMENTS

8.Pre-clear any trade in Reportable Securities, including certain Affiliated Funds (see box on next page for additional information).

If your trade requires pre-clearance, request approval through the Protegent PTA system (PTA) before you or any Household Member places an order to buy or sell any Reportable Security. Any approval you receive expires at the end of the day it was granted; however, you may place after-hours trades in international markets until 11:59 PM local time on that day. When requesting pre-clearance, follow this process:

Request pre-clearance on the same day you want to trade, during standard US trading hours (9:30 AM to 4:00 PM ET). Be sure your pre-clearance request is accurate as to security and direction of trade.

Wait for approval to be displayed before trading. If you receive approval, you may only trade that same day, and only within the scope of approval. If you do not receive approval, do not trade.

Place day orders only. Do not place good-til-canceled orders. You may place orders for an after-hours trading session or in foreign markets using that day's pre-clearance approval, but you must not place any order that could remain open into the next day's trading session.

9.Hold positions in securities that are subject to pre-clearance for 60 calendar days, or be prepared to forfeit any gains. Several things to note:

You may be required to surrender any gains realized (net of commissions) through a violation of this rule.

The 60-day holding requirement is tested on a last- in-first-out basis, across all of your holdings (not just within individual accounts).

The 60-day holding requirement extends to any options or other transactions that may have the same effect as a purchase or sale, and to all Reportable Securities except Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs), Unit Investment Trusts (UITs), and open-end Affiliated Funds. Nuveen-branded or sponsored closed-end funds are subject to the 60-day holding requirement.

You may sell the security on the 60th day after purchase, provided you obtain pre-clearance or an exemption applies.

You may re-purchase a security immediately after executing a sale of that same security, which will trigger a new 60 calendar day holding period.

You may close a position at a loss at any time, provided pre-clearance has been obtained or an exemption applies.

10.Comply with trading restrictions described in the prospectuses for all Affiliated Funds. This includes restrictions on frequent trading in shares of any open-end Affiliated Fund.

11.Pre-clear any transaction in a Managed Account that involves your influence. You must also immediately consult with the Nuveen Ethics Office to discuss whether the account in question can properly remain classified as a Managed Account.

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12.Obtain the required approvals before any transaction in a Private Placement. For any private funds advised or sub-advised by Nuveen, you must obtain approval for all transactions (initial investment, subsequent investment, sales/redemptions) except additional capital calls. For all other Private Placements, you must obtain approval for initial and subsequent investments but not sales/redemptions. Approval is required even if the investment is made in a Managed Account.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE PRE-CLEARED

Pre-clearance required

All actively initiated trades in Reportable

Securities, except those listed here under "No pre- clearance required."

Restricted stock or employee stock options accrued during prior employment or a Household Member's employment require pre-clearance. If pre-clearance is denied, you may contact the Nuveen Ethics Office to request reconsideration.

Be aware that pre-clearance can be withdrawn even after it has been granted, and even after you have traded, if Nuveen later becomes aware of Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio trades whose existence would have resulted in denial of pre-clearance. In these cases you may be required to reverse a trade and/or forfeit an appropriate portion of any profit, as determined by the Nuveen Ethics Office.

Pre-clearance not required

Shares of any open-end mutual fund (including Affiliated Funds).

ETFs, ETNs, UITs.

CDs and commercial paper.

Securities acquired or disposed of through actions outside your control or issued pro rata to all holders of the same class of investment, such as automatic dividend reinvestments, stock splits, mergers, spin-offs, or rights subscriptions.

Sales pursuant to a bona fide tender offer.

Trades made through an Automatic Investment Plan that has been disclosed to the Nuveen Ethics Office in advance.

Trades in a Managed Account (except that you must pre-clear any trades that involve your influence, any initial purchases of private placements, purchases in any equity IPO, and any sales or redemptions of private placements that are branded, sponsored, advised or sub- advised by Nuveen).

Foreign currencies, including futures.

Commodity instruments.

Index options and index futures.

Direct investments in cryptocurrencies.

OTHER RESTRICTIONS

13.Never knowingly trade any security being traded or considered for trade by any Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio. This applies to employee transactions in securities that are exempt from pre- clearance, and includes equivalent or related securities.

For example, if a company's common stock is being traded, you may face restrictions on trading any of the company's debt, preferred, or foreign equivalent securities, and from trading or exercising any options based on the company's securities.

14.Always prioritize client trades over personal trades. Your fiduciary duties to the client are far more important than your personal trading, which is a privilege and not a right. Never delay or in any way alter the timing or terms of a client trade for your personal benefit.

15.Do not engage in trading that involves single stock futures, uncovered short sales or uncovered options on individual securities. For any short position you must own the underlying security in equal notional value. Options are permitted only to generate income or for hedging (that is, selling calls or writing puts that are offset by existing long positions), with the following exceptions:

You may buy or sell (write) uncovered long-term options (those with an expiration of 1 year or more from the date of purchase), subject to the 60-day holding period.

Hedging with puts or with shorts against the box is permitted, however, unless the transaction is a covered call (which can be written when you acquire the underlying position), you must first hold the underlying position for 60 days.

16.Never participate in an investment club or similar entity.

17.Do not engage in excessive or inappropriate trading activity. Never let personal trading interfere with your professional duties. The Nuveen Ethics Office and/or your local/designated CCO, in consultation with your manager, will determine what constitutes excessive or inappropriate trading.

18.Pre-clear the sale of securities in a margin account. Margin accounts are permitted, however you must obtain pre-clearance when selling to meet a margin call, even if the transaction is initiated by a broker.

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19.Never purchase an IPO without advance approval. This includes Managed Accounts. Equity IPO participation is generally prohibited, but approval may be granted in special circumstances, such as when:

You already have equity in the company and are offered shares.

You are a policy holder or depositor in a company that is demutualizing.

A family member has been offered shares as an employee.

Purchases of initial offerings of fixed income securities, convertible securities, preferred securities, open- and closed-end funds, commodity pools, and secondary equity offerings are generally permitted subject to prior approval from the Nuveen Ethics Office.

MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION

What is Material Non-Public Information?

Material Non-Public Information is defined as information regarding any security, securities-based derivatives or issuer of a security that is both material and non-public. Information is material if both of the following are true:

A reasonable investor would likely consider it important when making an investment decision.

Public release of the information would likely affect the price of a security.

Information is generally non-public if it has not been distributed through a widely used public medium, such as a press release or a report, filing or other periodic communication.

Restrictions and requirements

Any time you think you might have, or may be about to, come into possession of Material Non-Public Information (whether in connection with your position at Nuveen or not), alert the Nuveen Ethics Office. Alternatively, you may alert your local/designated CCO or Legal office, who in turn must promptly notify the Nuveen Ethics Office. Follow the instructions you are given.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Until you receive further instructions from the Nuveen Ethics Office, your local/designated CCO, or Legal, do not take any action in relation to the information, including trading or recommending the relevant securities or communicating the information to anyone else.

Never make decisions on your own regarding potential Material Non-Public Information, including whether such information is actually Material Non-Public Information or what steps should be taken.

If the Nuveen Ethics Office, your local/designated CCO and/or Legal determine that you have Material Non- Public Information:

Do not buy, sell, gift, or otherwise dispose of the issuer's securities, whether on behalf of an Affiliate-Advised Account or Portfolio, yourself, or anyone else.

Do not in any way recommend, encourage, or influence others to transact in the issuer's securities, even if you do not specifically disclose or reference the Material Non- Public Information.

Do not communicate the Material Non-Public Information to anyone, whether inside or outside Nuveen, except in discussions with the Nuveen Ethics Office and Legal and as expressly permitted by any confidentiality agreement or supplemental policies and procedures of your business unit.

UPON BECOMING A NUVEEN EMPLOYEE

20.Within 10 calendar days of starting at Nuveen, acknowledge receipt of the Code. This includes certifying that you have read the Code, understand it, recognize that you are subject to it, have complied with all of its applicable requirements, and have submitted all Code-required reports.

21.Within 10 calendar days of starting at Nuveen, use PTA to report all of your Reportable Accounts and holdings in Reportable Securities.

For each Reportable Account, upload the most recent statement, making sure that it includes information about the broker, dealer, or bank through which the account is held and the type of account.

For each Reportable Security, provide the security name and type, a ticker symbol or CUSIP, the number of shares or units held, and the principal amount (dollar value). This information must be no older than 45 calendar days before your first day of employment.

Note that there are separate procedures for Managed Accounts, as described below in item 24. Within 10 calendar days of starting at Nuveen, report all current investments in private placements (limited offerings). Limited offerings are Reportable Securities.

22.Within 30 calendar days of starting at Nuveen, move or close any Reportable Account that is not at an approved firm. This does not include Reportable Accounts that are 401(k), HSA, or 529 accounts. Contact the Nuveen Ethics Office if you are unsure whether your

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account must be held with an approved firm. The list of approved firms is maintained by the Nuveen Ethics Office and may be accessed on PTA.

Under very limited circumstances, it may be possible to obtain a waiver to keep a Reportable Account at a non- approved firm. Examples include:

An account owned by a Household Member who works at another financial firm with comparable restrictions.

An account that holds securities that cannot be transferred.

An account that cannot be moved because of a trust agreement.

To apply for an exception, contact the Nuveen Ethics Office. For any account granted an exception, arrange for the Nuveen Ethics Office to receive duplicates of all periodic statements. If a firm cannot provide duplicate statements directly to the Nuveen Ethics Office, you must take responsibility for providing them yourself. In all cases, if your accounts are not held at an approved firm, you must manually enter all executed transactions in PTA within 5 days of execution.

At the discretion of the Nuveen Ethics Office, some consultants and temporary workers may not be required to move or close Reportable Accounts.

EVERY QUARTER

25.Within 30 calendar days of the end of each calendar quarter, verify in PTA that all Reportable Transactions made during that quarter have been reported. PTA will display all transactions of yours for which it has received notice (except transactions in your TIAA pension or and retirement plan accounts, which you are not required to report because the firm accesses this informaiton directly). For any other Reportable Transactions not displayed, or displayed inaccurately, you are responsible for making any necessary revisions in PTA to complete your certification.

26.For each Reportable Transaction, you must provide, as applicable, the transaction date, security nameand type, ticker symbol or CUSIP, interest rate (coupon) and maturity date, number of shares, price at which the transaction was effected, principal amount (dollar value), the nature of the trade (buy or sell), and the name of the broker, dealer, or bank that effected the transaction. It is very important that you carefully review and verify the transactions and related details displayed on PTA, checking for accuracy and completeness. Once again, if you find any errors or omissions, correct or add to your list of transactions in PTA.

WHEN OPENING ANY NEW REPORTABLE ACCOUNT (INCLUDING A MANAGED ACCOUNT)

23.Get pre-approval for any new Managed Account before any trading activity commences. Using the appropriate form (available from the Nuveen Ethics Office), provide representations that support the classification of the account as a Managed Account. For an account to be classified as a Managed Account, the account owner must have no direct or indirect influence or control over the securities in the account. The form must be signed by the account's broker or investment manager and by all account owners. You may be asked periodically to confirm these representations.

Note that if the Managed Account is not maintained at an approved firm, you are also responsible for providing duplicate statements for the Managed Account to the Ethics Office, if requested.

24.Report any new Reportable Account (other than a Managed Account) that is opened with an approved firm. Do this within 10 calendar days of the date you or a Household Member opens the account or an account becomes a Reportable Account through marriage, cohabitation, divorce, death, or another event.

EVERY YEAR

27.Within 45 calendar days of the end of each calendar year, acknowledge receipt of the most recent version of the Code and certify in PTA as to your Annual Holdings and Accounts Report.

The report must contain the information described in item 20 above, and include your certification that you have reported all Reportable Accounts, and all holdings in Reportable Securities at year end.

If any of your holdings in Reportable Securities are not displayed in PTA or are displayed inaccurately, you are responsible for making any necessary revisions in PTA to complete your certification.

In addition, you must affirm each year through PTA that each Managed Account is properly classified as a Managed Account, for yourself and on behalf of any Household Member. This separate certification does not require broker or investment manager involvement.

You also must acknowledge any amendments to the Code that occur during the course of the year.

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ADDITIONAL RULES FOR

SECTION 16 PERSONS

Pre-clear (through PTA) any transactions in Nuveen closed-end funds and any other closed-end funds of which you are a Section 16 Person. Your request will be reviewed by Legal.

Pre-clear buy/sell transactions involving any Nuveen closed-end funds within your Managed Account(s).

When selling for a gain any securities you buy that are issued by the entity of which you are a Section 16 Person, make sure it is at least 6 months after your most recent purchase of that security. This rule extends to any options or other transactions that may have the same effect as a purchase or sale, and is tested on a last-in- first-out basis. You may be required to surrender any gains realized through a violation of this rule. Note that for any fund of which you are a Section 16 Person, no exception from pre-clearance is available.

Promptly email details of all executed transactions in these securities to the appropriate contact in Legal.

See the Nuveen Funds Section 16 Policy and Procedures for additional information.

If you are unsure whether you are a Section 16 Person, contact Legal or the Nuveen Ethics Office.

CODE ADMINISTRATION

Training

You will be required to participate in training on the Code when joining Nuveen as well as periodically during the time you are subject to the Code.

Exceptions

The Code exists to prevent violations of law. The Nuveen Ethics Office may, under certain circumstances, grant waivers from a Code requirement. No waivers or exceptions that would violate any law will be granted.

Monitoring

The Nuveen Ethics Office is responsible for monitoring transactions and holdings for any violations of this Code.

Consequences of violation

Any individual who violates the Code is subject to penalty. Penalties could include, among other possibilities, a written warning, restriction of trading privileges, disgorgement

of trading profits, fines, and suspension or termination of employment.

Applicable rules

The Code has been adopted in recognition of Nuveen's fiduciary obligations to clients and in accordance with various provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. This Code is also adopted by the Affiliated Funds advised by Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC, TIAA-CREF Investment Management, LLC and Teachers Advisors, LLC under Rule 17j-1.

Some elements of the Code also constitute part of Nuveen's response to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) requirements that apply to registered personnel of Nuveen Securities, LLC.

Code of Ethics

Scout Investments

Reams Asset Management Division

August 2019

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

This Code of Ethics has been adopted by Scout Investments ("SI"), including its Reams Asset Management Division ("Reams"), with the objectives of deterring wrongdoing and (1) providing standards of honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships, (2) promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents which the Firm files with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications made by Scout, (3) promoting compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, (4) facilitating prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code of Ethics, and (5) providing accountability for adherence to this Code of Ethics.

This Code of Ethics applies to all Supervised Persons. A Supervised Person means any Scout employee who provides advice on behalf of Scout and who are subject to Scout's supervision and control.

All Supervised Persons have a duty and requirement to:

Place the clients' interests first;

Conduct all personal transactions in accordance with this Code of Ethics and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

Avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest (or when this is not possible, fully disclose them to the client) or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility and not take inappropriate advantage of their position;

Maintain the confidentiality of the identity of security holdings and financial circumstances of clients;

Maintain their independence in the investment decision-making process applicable to the degree they participate in the investment decision-making process;

Comply with applicable federal securities laws; and

Report any violations of this code to the Chief Compliance Officer.

Implementation and interpretation of this Code are the primary responsibilities of the Chief Compliance Officer. In administering these responsibilities, the Chief Compliance Officer may consult with Scout management as appropriate regarding violations of the Code and in applying penalties as identified on Appendix A – Schedule of Sanctions. Any alleged violations of this Code must be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. Scout may take disciplinary action and/or impose sanctions including, but not limited to, termination of employment, suspension, revocation of personal trading privileges and/or disgorgement of profits resulting from the violation. Financial penalties for noncompliance will be contributed to a charitable foundation or to a charity. Additional consequences for noncompliance and actions are not limited to the penalties listed depending upon the circumstances of noncompliance. Furthermore, violations of the Code of Ethics may also be violations of the law and may result in civil and/or criminal penalties.

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The Chief Compliance Officer will take reasonable means to protect the privacy of personal information collected in implementing the Code of Ethics. If a violation occurs or a matter is in need of resolution, only the minimum information as determined by the Chief Compliance Officer will be disclosed as needed to communicate or facilitate consideration with appropriate individuals of any matter under this Code of Ethics. Information may also be disclosed to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of this Code of Ethics or to respond to appropriate requests.

II. STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

Conflicts of Interest

All Supervised Persons have an affirmative duty of care, loyalty, honesty, and good faith, and to act in the best interests of their clients. Compliance with this duty is best served by avoiding conflicts of interest and by fully disclosing all material facts concerning any conflict that does arise with respect to any client. A "conflict of interest" occurs when an individual's personal interests interfere or appear to interfere with client interests. A conflict may arise when a person takes actions or has interests that make it difficult to perform his or her duties with respect to the client objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise when a person receives improper benefits, or members of his or her family receive improper personal benefits resulting from his or her position.

Supervised Persons must avoid conduct or activities that may appear to be a conflict or impropriety. Any Supervised Person that feels a need to disclose a potential conflict should first discuss the potential conflict with his/her supervisor and/or the Chief Compliance Officer.

Conflicts Among Client Interests

Supervised Persons should not favor the interests of one client over another client. Inappropriate favoritism of one client over another client constitutes a breach of fiduciary duty.

Competing with Client Trades

Supervised Persons are prohibited from competing with client securities transactions by profiting personally, directly or indirectly, from personal securities trades by using knowledge about pending or potential securities transactions of clients.

Disclosure of Personal Interest

Supervised Persons are prohibited from recommending, implementing or considering any securities transaction for a client without having disclosed any material beneficial ownership, business or personal relationship, or other material interest in an issuer or its affiliates, to the Chief Compliance Officer. For purposes of this paragraph, material beneficial ownership is an investment in an amount that could potentially alter judgment regarding the security and, at a minimum, is defined as the Supervised Person having beneficial ownership of 1% or more of any class of common equity securities of the subject company. If the beneficial ownership is concluded to present a material conflict, the Supervised Person may not participate in any decision-making process regarding the securities of that issuer. Research analysts with a material personal interest in an issuer are precluded from covering that issuer. If the Supervised Person has any doubts as to whether a material interest, beneficial ownership or relationship could potentially impair their judgment, then the Supervised Person should contact the Chief

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Compliance Officer to discuss details of the holding, relationship or activity. The Chief Compliance Officer will consult with the appropriate portfolio manager as necessary or legal counsel in rendering a decision and notify appropriate parties of the material personal interests identified.

Vendors and Suppliers

Supervised Persons must disclose personal investments or other interests in vendors or suppliers with respect to which the Supervised Person negotiates or makes decisions regarding the selection of that vendor or supplier for services provided to clients. The Supervised Person must disclose this interest to the Chief Compliance Officer. If the Chief Compliance Officer determines the beneficial ownership presents a material conflict, the Supervised Person may not participate in any decision-making process regarding procurement of the services of that vendor or supplier for clients.

Transactions with Clients

Supervised Persons are prohibited from knowingly purchasing from or selling to a client any security or other property, except securities issued by the client.

III. INSIDER TRADING

Insider trading involves the purchase or sale of securities of a company or other entity while in possession of material, nonpublic information (also called "inside information") about the company or entity. Any Supervised Person who purchases or sells securities while in possession of material inside information or who communicates or "tips" such inside information to anyone else who trades securities on such information, violates this Code of Ethics and may violate United States securities laws. Federal law imposes obligations on employers to ensure that their employees do not improperly trade securities using inside information. Any Supervised Person who becomes aware of material nonpublic information should not, without first discussing the information with the Chief Compliance Officer:

Trade in the securities of such company for a personal or client's account;

Recommend transactions in the security; or

Disclose (tip) the information to others.

Scout's Insider Trading Policies and Procedures (Insider Trading Policy) is included for detailed policies and procedures governing insider trading. The Insider Trading Policy is incorporated as part of this Code of Ethics and for purposes of applying this Code's provisions.

IV. GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Giving or Receiving Gifts or Entertainment

Supervised Persons should exercise good judgment in providing or accepting anything of value. Supervised Persons shall not offer, provide or solicit for themselves, or any third party, anything of value from anyone in return for any business, service, or confidential or proprietary information. Furthermore, Supervised Persons are prohibited from providing or accepting anything of value from anyone as a condition of obtaining the business of Scout or any of their subsidiary or affiliated companies, either before or after the transaction is discussed or consummated. Gifts or entertainment should never be provided or accepted in circumstances in

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which it appears to others that business judgment has been compromised. This does not prohibit associates and officers from providing or accepting something of nominal value from a customer or supplier doing or seeking to do business with Scout without the risk of corruption or breach of trust. Cash and checks, however, should not be accepted regardless of amount. The following examples help explain what is permissible under the policy:

Receipt of gifts from any one Investment Related Entity not to exceed $100 per year (on an individual employee basis);

Receipt of entertainment from any one Investment Related Entity not to exceed $100 per event and $250 per year (on an individual employee basis);

The provision or acceptance of gifts, gratuities, amenities, or favors based on obvious family or personal relationships where the circumstances make it clear that those relationships are the motivating factor;

The provision or acceptance of meals, refreshments, entertainment or transportation to local events, all of reasonable value and in the course of business at which the giver is present. (Acceptance of accommodations or non-local travel arrangements should not be accepted). Examples include an occasional meal, a ticket to a sporting event or the theater, or comparable entertainment which is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety. The acceptance of advertising or promotional material of reasonable value such as pens, pencils, notepads, key chains, calendars and similar items;

The acceptance of discounts or rebates on merchandise or services that do not exceed those available to other customers; or

The provision or acceptance of gifts of reasonable value (a real or perceived value of $100 or less) where the gift is neither so frequent nor so extensive as to raise any question of propriety. Entertainment where the giver is not present is considered a gift.

Reporting Gifts or Entertainment

Employees are required to report gifts or entertainment that are given in the course of soliciting existing or potential clients and any investment related gifts or entertainment received as described above. This reporting obligation will not apply to gifts or entertainment of insubstantial value (such as promotional items or meals, provided it does not exceed $10 in value.) Gifts must be values at the higher of cost or market value exclusive of tax and delivery charges. Each employee will be required to certify every quarter that he or she has reported all gifts or entertainment given and/or received in accordance with this Code of Ethics. Employees who are registered representatives of Carillon Fund Distributors will be required to maintain and report gifts and/or entertainment provided in accordance with policies and procedures adopted by Carillon Fund Distributors.

Donations

Donations from SI at the request of existing or potential clients are permissible, but cannot exceed $2,000 per year per recipient. Any donation over $250 must be approved by the President of SI.

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V. OTHER PROVISIONS

Initial Public Offerings

All Supervised Persons shall not purchase any equity securities in an initial public offering.1

Market Timing

Supervised Persons are prohibited from engaging in any trading activities potentially injurious to any mutual funds sub-advised by SI as such activity is defined by the funds. This includes patterns of frequent trading or market timing when discouraged or prohibited by SI's fund clients.

Service as a Director

Supervised Persons are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization from the President of SI.

Disclosure of Holdings or Transaction Information

Supervised Persons are prohibited from disclosing holdings or transaction information of the Carillon Funds, fiduciary accounts or advisory clients other than to the client or others legally entitled to the information. Disclosures related to the holdings or transactions in the Carillon Funds are subject to the fund's policy on Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings expressed in the Carillon Funds' Compliance Manual. Any questions regarding the disclosure of holdings or transaction information should be posed to the Chief Compliance Officer.

Participation in Investment Clubs

Access Persons (as defined in the Personal Trading Annex below) are prohibited from participating in or contributing to Investment Clubs without notifying the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may prohibit your participation in or contribution to an Investment Club. Transactions in Covered Securities are subject to the same preclearance, blackout, and reporting requirements as the Access Persons' other accounts.

Disciplinary Disclosures

All Supervised Persons are required to certify annually that they are not subject to any of the disciplinary events listed in Item 11 in the current Form ADV, Part 1 or disclose matters for which need to be reflected in the Form ADV.

VI. CERTIFICATION

Each newly hired Supervised Person will be provided a copy of the Code of Ethics and must certify in writing initially and annually thereafter that they have received a copy of the Code of Ethics, read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics, and agree to comply with the applicable terms of the Code of Ethics. Scout will provide its Supervised Persons with any

1"Initial Public Offering" means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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amendments to the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to certify in writing that they have received, read and understand the amendments.

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Code of Ethics-Personal Trading Annex

Scout Investments

Reams Asset Management Division

August 2019

This Scout Personal Trading Annex ("Policy") is meant to supplement the Scout Code of Ethics. Scout Investments ("SI"), including its Reams Asset Management Division ("Reams") has adopted this Policy with the objective of supplementing Scout's Code of Ethics and addressing potential conflicts of interest with regard to employee trading consistent with Scout's fiduciary standard of ethics as well as applicable law and regulation. Together, Scout's Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Annex are hereby referred to as the Code of Ethics and are intended to constitute Scout's written code of ethics as required by Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Scout's written code of ethics required Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Scope of Policy

This Policy applies to all Supervised Persons. A Supervised Person means any Scout employee who provides advice on behalf of Scout and who are subject to Scout's supervision and control.

Scout considers all Supervised Persons as Access Persons. An Access Person includes any:

(i)Supervised Person that has access to nonpublic information regarding any Clients' purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Carillon Fund (or other Reportable Fund);

(ii)Supervised Person that is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic; or

(iii)officer, director or partner of Scout.

Non-employee directors of Scout are not subject to the restrictions and preclearance requirements of the Code, provided they have no knowledge of Scout's pending or current program trading activity in the securities they are trading. Such directors must provide an annual certification that with respect to all security transactions during the preceding year, the director was not aware of any Scout program activity relating to the security in question when the transaction was effected.

Limits on Trading

All Access Persons are subject to certain pre-clearance requirements and/or designated restrictions relating to transactions in Covered Securities (as defined under the Section "Definitions".) Except for those transactions listed below, all Access Persons must obtain pre- clearance for all purchase or sales in Covered Securities. Scout may authorize or deny any pre- clearance request based upon the obligations contained in this Policy and the overall Code of Ethics.

Pre-clearance requests must be submitted via an electronic system (Schwab Compliance Technologies) or, in limited circumstances (e.g. Limited Offerings or in the event of a system malfunction) through a form as directed by the Chief Compliance Officer. If the request is approved, the authorization is valid until the end of the next business day following the approval or in the case of a Limited Offering as directed by SI's Chief Compliance Officer. Any personal trade subject to these pre-clearance requirements that is placed as a "limit order" must also be

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placed as a "day order." The following purchases or sales in Covered Securities are exempt from the above pre-clearance requirements:

Purchases or sales by a Board Access Person that does not involve a Limited Offering;

Purchases or sales in an account which an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

Purchase or sales of securities which are non-voluntary on the part of the Access Person, including mergers, recapitalizations or similar transactions;

Purchases or sales pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan ;

Purchases that are part of an issuer's automatic dividend reinvestment plan;

Purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from the issuer, and sales of such rights are so acquired;

Purchases or sales in exchange traded funds and notes; or

Purchases or sales in open-end investment company shares.

Access Persons desiring to invest in a Limited Offering must receive prior authorization from SI's Chief Compliance Officer, or their designee. The Chief Compliance Officer, or their designee, will consider certain factors, including without limitation, applicable federal securities laws, the likelihood of a Client buying the Limited Offering, whether the Limited Offering is appropriate for a Client or any circumstances surrounding the Access Person's opportunity to acquire the Limited Offering.

Restricted Trades

Scout prohibits the following transactions of a Covered Security in which a Scout Access Person has Beneficial Ownership:

The purchase or sale of a Covered Security on the Restricted List, unless:

(i)the issuer of the Security has a market capitalization greater than $5 billion; and

(ii)the proposed transaction involves less than $100,000 of the issuer's

Securities. Trades on sequential business days are aggregated in calculating the $100,000 limit.

A Covered Security will be placed on the Restricted List if the Covered Security is held in an SI Client discretionary account, provided that the Restricted List will not include shares of an Investment Company.

The purchase or sale of a Covered Security if the Access Person is aware that a Client account has either executed a trade within seven (7) days or intends to execute a trade within seven (7) days, unless the Access Person:

(i)places the same transaction type as the Client's transaction, (e.g., buy or sell);

(ii)places the order after the execution of the Client's transaction; and

(iii)receives a price that is not better than the price received by the Client;

The purchase or sale of a Covered Security on the same day in which any Access Person knows that a Client Account has a pending "buy" or "sell" order in that same Covered

Security;

The sale of a Covered Security on the Restricted List within sixty (60) days of purchase at a price greater than any purchase within the sixty (60) day period, provided the Access Person may still sell the Security and disgorge any difference in the sale and purchase price;

23

The writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security on the Restricted List.

The Chief Compliance Officer may waive any of the above limitations for any Access Person provided the Access Person did not foresee the circumstances relating to the sale at the time of the purchase or the limitations on the transaction would otherwise cause great hardship to the Access Person. The Chief Compliance Officer must maintain a record of any exemptions made pursuant to this paragraph.

Prohibited Trades

All Supervised Persons are prohibited from trading based upon material non-public information, in accordance with Scout's Policy on Insider Trading. All Supervised Persons are subject to blackout restrictions pertaining to transactions in a Covered Security that he or she has Beneficial Ownership. A Blackout List will be maintained by a designated Compliance Officer and a Covered Security will be placed on the Blackout List if the Compliance Officer, in consultation with the Chief Compliance Officer and/or other appropriate personnel, determines that a Supervised Person has Material Non-Public Information (as defined in Scout's Policy on Insider Trading.) Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing or selling a Covered Security on the Blackout List.

Reporting Requirements for Access Persons

Access Persons

Except as described below, all Access Persons are required to:

File a Brokerage Accounts Report no later than 10 days after being designated as an Access Person.

File an Initial Holdings Report no later than 10 days after being designated as an Access Person.

File an Annual Holdings Report by January 30th each year for the previous twelve months beginning January 1st and ending December 31st.

File a Quarterly Transactions Report no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

Notify each firm that maintains a brokerage account for them, or a Family Member, of their association with Scout and the requirement to receive duplicate copies of confirmations and periodic statements.

Brokerage Accounts Report

Every Access Person must submit a Brokerage Accounts Report no later than 10 days after the individual is designated as an Access Person. Each Access Person must disclose in this record each brokerage account in which they have any Beneficial Ownership (including the broker firm's name and the account number.) The statement also must include the brokerage account(s) for any Family Member of the Access Person. It is the responsibility of each Access Person to notify each firm through which they or a Family Member maintains an account of their affiliation with Scout. This record must be updated if new outside brokerage accounts are opened or closed at any time after the initial record is submitted and confirmed.

24

Upon submission of this statement a designated Compliance Officer will send a request to receive duplicate confirmation and periodic statements. It is the Access Person's responsibility to ensure that the Compliance Department's request is honored.

Initial Holdings Report

Every Access Person must submit an Initial Holdings Report no later 10 days after the individual is designated as an Access Person. Information contained in the report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the individual becomes an Access Person. The Initial Holdings Report must contain the following information for each Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

The title and type of each Covered Security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount;

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Scout Access Person maintained an account in which any Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Scout Access Person;

The date the report is submitted by the Scout Access Person.

Quarterly Transaction Reports

Every Access Person must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report, no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter with the following information for transactions in any Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

The date of each transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, the number of shares, and the principal amount;

The nature of the transaction that is, a purchase, sale or other type of acquisition or disposition;

The price at which the transaction was effected;

The name of each broker, dealer, bank, or other financial institution maintaining a brokerage or other account for the Scout Access Person or Family Member and the account number assigned to it; and

The date the report is submitted.

The Access Person will not have to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report if duplicate trade confirmations or accounts statements are received by Scout within 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter and contain the necessary information listed above. The Access Person will be responsible for confirming that the duplicate confirmations or account statements meets these requirements within 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter.

Annual Holdings Report

Every Access Person must submit an Annual Holdings Report by January 30th of each year. Information contained in the report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the Access Person submits the report.

25

The Initial Holdings Report and Annual Holdings Report must contain the following information for each Covered Security in which the Access Person or Family Member has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

The title and type of each Covered Security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount;

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Scout Access Person maintained an account in which any Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Scout Access Person; and

The date the report is submitted by the Access Person.

Reporting Exemptions

Access Persons are not required to report:

Transactions in accounts or Securities held in accounts over which the Access Person has no direct influence or control (e.g., third-party fully discretionary managed account); and

Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

Review of Access Person Reports

A designated Compliance Officer within the Compliance Group will assess Access Person trading activities and compare these activities to trading activity with certain accounts managed by SI, Reams, or other affiliates of Scout as appropriate. Any violations of the Code of Ethics shall be reported promptly to the Scout Chief Compliance Officer. Factors that will be considered in assessing personal trading activity include one or more of the following, but may not necessarily be limited to:

The nature of the Access Person's role relative to Client accounts;

The Access Person's access to nonpublic information regarding Client holdings;

The timing of the Access Person's receipt of information that contributes to that person being an Access Person (e.g., knowledge of trade activity before or shortly after trade placed by a Client account reflects different risk profile than receipt of a recommended list once a quarter);

Impact of SI, or affiliates of Scout trading volume in a particular security in comparison to market trading volume;

Proximity of the Access Person trade in relation to a Client trade and whether the trade took place before or after the trade within the Client account;

Potential that an Access Person's trading activity represents conduct prohibited by a

Reportable Fund;

Patterns of trading activity within the Access Person's account, and within a Client account if the Access Person has a vital role supporting the investment decisions in the

Client's account.

Certifications

Each Supervised Person will be provided a copy of the Code of Ethics and must certify in writing no later than 30 days after receipt that they have received the Code Ethics, read and understand the Code of Ethics and agree to comply with the applicable terms of the Code of Ethics. Scout will provide any amendments to the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to

26

certify in writing that they have received, read and understand the amendments. Each year the Chief Compliance Officer or compliance officer designated by the Chief Compliance Officer will conduct an annual meeting with all Supervised Persons to review the Code of Ethics and will require all Supervised Persons to annually certify that they have read, understood and complied with the Code of Ethics, that they have made all of the reports required by the Code of Ethics and have not engaged in any prohibited conduct.

Reporting Violations

All Supervised Persons are required to promptly report any actual, apparent or suspected violations of the Policy to the Chief Compliance Officer. If the Chief Compliance Officer or another compliance officer is not available the individual should report the violation to their immediate supervisor who is then responsible for reporting it to the Chief Compliance Officer. All reports will be treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law and investigated promptly.

Reporting to SI Board of Directors

At least annually, the Chief Compliance Officer of SI shall provide to the Scout Investments Board, a written report to: (i) describe any issues arising under the Code of Ethics or procedures since the last report to the board of trustees, including but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code of Ethics and sanctions imposed in response to the material violation; (ii) identify any recommended change to existing restrictions or procedures based upon the experience under the Code of Ethics, evolving industry practices and developments in applicable laws and regulations; and (iii) certify that SI has adopted policies and procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.

Amendments to the Code of Ethics

The board of directors of SI must approve any material amendment to the Code of Ethics no later than six months following the amendment.

Sanctions

Upon discovering a violation of this Policy, Scout and or Raymond James Financial may impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, a letter of censure, discouragement of profits, suspension or termination of the violator's employment. For more information, please see the attached Exhibit A.

Records

Scout will be responsible for maintaining the following records:

1.A copy of the Code of Ethics;

2.A record of each Access Person;

3.A record of any violation of the Code of Ethics and of any actions taken as a result of the violation;

4.A copy of each written acknowledgement as described in the Section entitled

"Certifications";

5.A copy of each report made by an Access Person as required under the Code of Ethics, including any information provided in lieu of reports in the form of duplicate trade confirmations or account statements;

27

6.A record of any decisions, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities in a Limited Offering by an Access Person; and

A complete description of Scout's recordkeeping responsibility under this Code of Ethics is contained in the Books and Records Policy.

Definitions

"Automatic Investment Plan" means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

"Beneficial Ownership" shall be interpreted in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

"Client" means an investment client of SI.

"Control" or "Controlled" shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

"Covered Security" means a security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act, except that it does not include:

(i)direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers' acceptances, bank

certificate of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and (iii) shares issued by money-market funds; (iv) shares issued by open-end registered investment companies other than a Reportable Fund; (v) shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end investment companies other than a Reportable Fund.

"Family Member" means any individual who is a member of a Supervised Person's immediate family who lives in the Supervised Person's household.

"Fixed Income Client" means any Client of SI that is managed by a portfolio manager within the Reams Asset Management division.

"Initial Public Offering" means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

"Investment Company" means a company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, including but not limited to, open-end mutual funds, close-end mutual funds, and unit investment trusts, but does not include a money market mutual fund.

"Limited Offering" means an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) thereof, or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 adopted thereunder.

"Purchase or sale of a Covered Security" means the purchase or sale of a Covered Security, including the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security, in which the Access Person or their Family Member has Beneficial Ownership.

28

"Reportable Fund" means any Investment Company for which SI acts as sub-adviser or investment adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(20) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any Investment Company whose investment adviser or principal underwriter Controls Scout, is Controlled by Scout or is under common Control with Scout.

"Security" or "Securities" means a security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

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APPENDIX A – SCHEDULE OF SANCTIONS

This Schedule is intended to provide guidance in response to specific violations of the Code of Ethics, including the Personal Trading Policy. Any other violations of the Code of Ethics or Personal Trading Policy (e.g., improper frequent trading, use of material non-public information) will be handled on a case-by-case basis and can result in any of the penalties listed below. Depending on the nature of a violation, the penalty (e.g., suspension of trading privileges) may be imposed regardless of the timing or number of occurrences. Nothing in this Appendix should be viewed as limiting the ability of Scout or Raymond James to impose additional employment sanctions up to and including suspension or termination of employment for failing to abide by the Code of Ethics or Personal Trading Policy.

Pre-Clear

 

Violation*

 

1st

Informal Warning

2nd

Written Warning

3rd

Suspension of Trading Privileges

*If an employee fails to obtain prior authorization and the trade would have been prohibited under the Policy, in addition to the penalties list above, the employee will be required to disgorge any profits resulting from the personal trade.

Late

 

Reporting

 

 

 

1st

Informal Warning

2nd

Written Warning

3rd

Suspension of Trading Privileges

 

 

Inaccurate or

 

Failure to Report

 

1st

Informal Warning

2nd

Written Warning

3rd

Suspension of Trading Privileges

For this schedule, accumulation of violations will be based on a rolling 12 month period. However, an accumulation of 3 or more warnings during the course of an employees' employment with Scout can result in the suspension of that employees' trading privileges (up to 30 days).

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CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

Effective December 1, 2019

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

OF

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT...........................................................................................

1-1

Purpose of Code of Ethics and Conduct...................................................................................

1-1

Persons and Entities Subject to the Code .................................................................................

1-2

Definition of Supervised Persons .............................................................................................

1-2

Status as a Fiduciary.................................................................................................................

1-2

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons .................................................................

1-3

NASDAQ Requirements ..........................................................................................................

1-3

What the Code Does Not Cover...............................................................................................

1-3

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes .............................................................................................................

1-4

Compliance Procedures for Funds and Federal Advisers ........................................................

1-4

Compliance with the Code .......................................................................................................

1-4

Questions Regarding the Code .................................................................................................

1-4

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF PRICE GROUP AND ITS PERSONNEL .........................

2-1

Allocation of Brokerage Policy................................................................................................

2-1

Annual Compliance Certification.............................................................................................

2-1

Anti-Bribery Laws and Prohibitions Against Illegal Payments ...............................................

2-1

Antitrust..............................................................................................................................

2-2,7-1

Anti-Money Laundering...........................................................................................................

2-2

Appropriate Conduct ................................................................................................................

2-2

Charitable Contributions ..........................................................................................................

2-2

Conflicts of Interest..................................................................................................................

2-4

Relationships with Profitmaking Enterprises .......................................................................

2-4

Service with Nonprofitmaking Organizations ......................................................................

2-5

Relationships with Financial Service Firms .........................................................................

2-5

Relationships with a Bank ....................................................................................................

2-6

Existing Relationships with Potential Vendors ....................................................................

2-6

i-1

 

Investment in Client/Vendor Company Stock......................................................................

2-6

Confidentiality..........................................................................................................................

2-7

Expense Payments and Reimbursements .................................................................................

2-7

Financial Reporting ..................................................................................................................

2-8

Gifts and Business Entertainment ............................................................................................

2-8

Human Resources.....................................................................................................................

2-8

Equal Opportunity ................................................................................................................

2-8

Drug and Alcohol Policy ......................................................................................................

2-8

Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination...................................................................

2-8

Health and Safety in the Workplace .....................................................................................

2-9

Use of Employee Likenesses and Information .....................................................................

2-9

Employment of Former Government and Self-Regulatory Organization Employees .........

2-9

Inside Information ..............................................................................................................

2-9,4-1

Investment Clubs......................................................................................................................

2-9

Marketing and Sales Activities ..............................................................................................

2-10

Outside Business Activities....................................................................................................

2-10

Past and Current Litigation and Inquiries from Regulators or Governmental Organizations 2-10

Political Activities and Contributions ....................................................................................

2-10

Lobbying.............................................................................................................................

2-12

Professional Designations ......................................................................................................

2-12

Protection of Corporate Assets...............................................................................................

2-12

Quality of Services .................................................................................................................

2-12

Record Retention and Destruction .........................................................................................

2-13

Referral Fees ..........................................................................................................................

2-13

Release of Information to the Press........................................................................................

2-13

Responsibility to Report Violations .......................................................................................

2-14

General Obligation .............................................................................................................

2-14

Global Whistleblower Procedures ......................................................................................

2-14

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures .......................................................................

2-14

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements ...........................................................

2-14

Circulation of Rumors ............................................................................................................

2-15

Service as Trustee, Executor or Personal Representative ......................................................

2-15

i-2

 

Speaking Engagements and Publications ...............................................................................

2-15

Social Media...........................................................................................................................

2-15

Systems Security ..............................................................................................................

2-16,6-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON GIFTS AND BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT .....................

3-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON MATERIAL, INSIDE (NON-PUBLIC) INFORMATION.... 4-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS ..........................................

5-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON SYSTEMS SECURITY AND RELATED ISSUES.............

6-30

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON COMPLIANCE WITH ANTITRUST LAWS .......................

7-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON PRIVACY ...............................................................................

8-1

i-3

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

OF

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

Purpose of Code of Ethics and Conduct. As a global investment management firm, we are considered a fiduciary to many of our clients and owe them a duty of undivided loyalty. Our clients entrust us with their financial well-being and expect us to always act in their best interests. Over the course of our Company's history, we have earned a reputation for fair dealing, honesty, candor, objectivity and unbending integrity. This has been possible by conducting our business on a set of shared values and principles of trust.

In order to educate our personnel, protect our reputation, and ensure that our tradition of integrity remains as a principle by which we conduct business, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. ("T. Rowe Price," "TRP", "Price Group" or "Group") has adopted this Code of Ethics and Conduct ("Code"). Our Code establishes standards of conduct that we expect each associate to fully understand and agree to adopt. As we are in a highly regulated industry, we are governed by an ever-increasing body of federal, state, and international laws as well as countless rules and regulations which, if not observed, can subject the firm and its employees to regulatory sanctions. All associates are expected to comply with all laws and regulations applicable to T. Rowe Price business. Our Code contains 31 separate Standards of Conduct as well as the following six separate Statements of Policy:

1.Statement of Policy on Gifts and Business Entertainment

2.Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-Public) Information

3.Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions

4.Statement of Policy on Systems Security and Related Issues

5.Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws

6.Statement of Policy on Privacy

A copy of this Code will be retained by the Legal Department for five years from the date it is last in effect. While the Code is intended to provide you with guidance and certainty as to whether or not certain actions or practices are permissible, it does not cover every issue that you may face. The firm maintains other compliance-oriented manuals and handbooks that may be directly applicable to your specific responsibilities and duties. Nevertheless, the Code should be viewed as a guide for you and the firm as to how we jointly must conduct our business to live up to our guiding tenet that the interests of our clients and customers must always come first.

Each new employee will be provided with the current Code and must acknowledge their understanding of the Code. All employees have access to the current Code on the intranet. Each employee will be required to provide Price Group with an acknowledgement of their understanding of the current Code on at least an annual basis. All acknowledgements will be retained as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act").

Please read the Code carefully and observe and adhere to its guidance. 1-1

Persons and Entities Subject to the Code. Unless otherwise determined by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, the following entities and individuals are subject to the Code:

Price Group

The subsidiaries and affiliates of Price Group

The officers, directors and employees of Price Group and its affiliates and subsidiaries

Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms "T. Rowe Price", "Price Group" and "Group" refer to Price Group and all its affiliates and subsidiaries.

In addition, the following persons are subject to the Code:

1.Any contingent worker (independent or agency-provided contract worker) whose assignments exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period and whose work is closely related to the ongoing work of Price Group employees (versus project work that stands apart from ongoing work); and

2.Any contingent worker whose assignment is more than casual in nature or who will be exposed to the kinds of information (via systems access or otherwise) and situations that would create conflicts on matters covered in the Code.

The independent directors of Price Group and the Price Funds are subject to the principles of the Code generally and to specific provisions of the Code as noted.

Definition of Supervised Persons. Under the Advisers Act, the officers, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) and employees of the Price Advisers, as well as any other persons who provide advice on behalf of a Price Adviser and are subject to the Price Adviser's supervision and control are "Supervised Persons".

Status as a Fiduciary. Several of Price Group's subsidiaries are investment advisers registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). These include T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. ("TRPA"), T. Rowe Price International Ltd ("TRPIL"), T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. ("TRPAS"), T. Rowe Price (Canada), Inc. ("TRP Canada"), T. Rowe Price Singapore Private Ltd. ("TRPSING"), T. Rowe Price Japan, Inc. ("TRPJ"), T. Rowe Price Australia Limited ("TRPAU"), and T. Rowe Price Hong Kong Limited ("TRPHK").

TRPIL is also authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA"). TRPIL is also subject to regulation by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (in respect of its DFIC Representative Office).

TRPHK is also authorized and regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission ("SFC") of Hong Kong.

TRPSING is also authorized and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS").

TRP Canada is also registered with the Ontario Securities Commission, the Manitoba Securities Commission, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Saskatchewan Financial Services

1-2

Commission, the Nova Scotia Securities Commission, the New Brunswick Securities Commission, the Financial Markets Authority (Quebec), and the Alberta Securities Commission.

TRPJ is licensed by the Japan Financial Services Authority ("FSA").

TRPAU also holds an Australian Financial Services License issued by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission ("ASIC").

All advisers affiliated with Price Group will be referred to collectively as the "Price Advisers" unless the context otherwise requires. The Price Advisers will register with additional securities regulators as required by their respective businesses. The primary responsibility of the Price Advisers is to render to their advisory clients on a professional basis unbiased advice regarding their clients' investments. As investment advisers, the Price Advisers have a fiduciary relationship with all of their clients, which means that they have an absolute duty of undivided loyalty, fairness and good faith toward their clients and mutual fund shareholders and a corresponding obligation to refrain from taking any action or seeking any benefit for themselves which would, or which would appear to, prejudice the rights of any client or shareholder or conflict with his or her best interests.

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons. The Advisers Act requires investment advisers to adopt Codes that:

Establish a standard of business conduct, applicable to Supervised Persons, reflecting the fiduciary obligations of the adviser and its Supervised Persons;

Require Supervised Persons to comply with all applicable laws;

Require Supervised Persons to report violations of the Code promptly to the adviser's Chief Compliance Officer; and

Require the adviser to provide each Supervised Person with a copy of the Code and any amendments and requiring Supervised Persons to provide the adviser with an acknowledgement of receipt of the Code and any amendments.

Price Group applies these requirements to all persons subject to the Code, including all Supervised Persons.

NASDAQ Requirements. Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("NASDAQ") rules require listed companies to adopt a Code of Conduct for all directors, officers, and employees. Price Group is listed on NASDAQ. This Code is designed to fulfill this NASDAQ requirement. A waiver of this Code for an executive officer or director of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. must be granted by Price Group's Board of Directors and reported as required by the pertinent NASDAQ rule.

What the Code Does Not Cover. The Code was not written for the purpose of covering all policies, rules and regulations to which personnel may be subject. For example, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. ("Investment Services") is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and, as such, is required to maintain written supervisory procedures to enable it to supervise the activities of its registered representatives and associated persons to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws and regulations and with the applicable rules of FINRA. In addition, TRPIL, TRP Canada, and other TRP entities are subject to several non-U.S. regulatory authorities.

1-3

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes. The principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers of Price Group and the Price Funds are also subject to codes (collectively the "S-O Codes") adopted to bring these entities into compliance with the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Sarbanes-Oxley Act"). These S-O Codes, which are available along with this Code on the firm's intranet site, are supplementary to this Code, but administered separately from it and each other.

Compliance Procedures for Funds and Federal Advisers. Under rule 38a-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, each fund board is required to adopt written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the fund from violating federal securities laws. These procedures must provide for the oversight of compliance by the fund's advisers, principal underwriters, administrators and transfer agents. Under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, it is unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice unless it has adopted and implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of federal securities laws by the adviser and its supervised persons.

Compliance with the Code. Strict compliance with the provisions of this Code is considered a basic condition of employment or association with the firm. An employee may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, for refusing to cooperate with an internal or external investigation. An employee may be required to surrender any profit realized from a transaction that is deemed to be in violation of the Code. In addition, a breach of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including fines and dismissal from employment. Employees may appeal to the Management Committee any ruling or decision rendered with respect to the Code.

Questions regarding the Code should be referred to Code_of_Ethics@TRowePrice.com

1-4

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF PRICE GROUP AND ITS PERSONNEL

Allocation of Brokerage Policy. The policies of each of the Price Advisers with respect to the allocation of client brokerage are set forth in Part 2A of Form ADV of each of the Price Advisers. The Form ADV is each Price Adviser's registration statement filed with the SEC. It is imperative that all employees, especially those who are in a position to make recommendations regarding brokerage allocation or who are authorized to select brokers that will execute securities transactions on behalf of our clients, read and become fully knowledgeable concerning our policies in this regard. Any questions regarding any of the Price Advisers' allocation policies for client brokerage should be addressed to the respective Equity Best Execution or Fixed Income Best Execution Committee.

Annual Compliance Certification. Annually each person subject to the Code is required to complete an Annual Compliance Certification ("ACC") regarding his or her compliance with various provisions of the Code. Associates must notify Code Compliance (via the Code of Ethics mailbox) should any responses to these questions change during the subsequent calendar year. Each Access Person (defined on page 5-3), except the independent directors of the Price Funds, must file an Initial Holdings Report as well as complete the ACC which will include a reporting and certification of securities accounts and holdings.

Anti-Bribery Laws and Prohibitions Against Illegal Payments. State, U.S., and international laws prohibit the payment of bribes, kickbacks, inducements or other illegal gratuities or payments by or on behalf of Price Group. Price Group, through its policies and practices, is committed to comply fully with these laws. T. Rowe Price prohibits its employees as well as anyone acting on its behalf from making any type of illegal payment. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") makes it a crime to directly or indirectly pay, promise to pay, offer to pay or authorize the payment of any money or anything of value to any government official in connection with obtaining or retaining business or influencing such official in order to secure an improper advantage. The term "government official" is broadly defined to include any officer or employee of a government or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any such government or department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or for or on behalf of any such public international organization, and any political party, party official or candidate for public office.

Additionally, the UK Bribery Act 2010 ("Bribery Act") contains wide prohibitions on illegal payments and specifically prohibits bribery between private parties. Also, the Bribery Act provides for severe civil and criminal penalties against individuals and corporations.

Under these Anti-bribery laws, actions constituting a bribe or illegal payment are interpreted broadly and could include excessive, repeated or lavish entertainment and/or gifts. Associates must adhere to the guidelines of gift and business entertainment policy and procedures and, if required by the applicable procedure, indicate in the reporting process whether a recipient of a gift or business entertainment is a government official.

If you are solicited to make or receive an illegal payment or have any questions about this section of the Code, you should contact the Legal Department. Also, an anonymous Hotline (888-651- 6223) has been established for employees to report any concerns they have regarding illegal payments, including potential violations of the FCPA and the Bribery Act.

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Antitrust. The U.S. antitrust laws are designed to ensure fair competition and preserve the free enterprise system. Other jurisdictions have requirements based on similar principals. Some of the most common antitrust issues with which an employee may be confronted are in the areas of pricing (adviser fees) and trade association activity. To ensure its employees' understanding of these laws, Price Group has adopted a Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws (page 7-1).

Anti-Money Laundering. T. Rowe Price has a legal and fiduciary duty to help guard against accounts under management from being used for fraudulent activities, money laundering, or the financing of terrorist activities. T. Rowe Price will not knowingly engage in any activity that facilitates money laundering or the funding of terrorist or criminal activities. The firm has developed procedures to help detect and prevent such activity from occurring and will comply with all laws and regulations to which T. Rowe Price is subject including those rules and regulations requiring the reporting of suspicious activity. It is each associate's responsibility to protect the firm from exploitation by money launderers. Refer to the Global Financial Crimes Prevention web-based training in myLearning for more information on money laundering and the relevant laws and regulations.

Appropriate Conduct. Associates are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate and responsible manner in the workplace, when on company business outside the office, and at company-sponsored events. Inappropriate behavior reflects poorly on the associate and may impact T. Rowe Price. Managers should be especially mindful that they should set the standard for appropriate behavior.

Charitable Contributions. Employees should be sensitive to a possible perception of undue influence before making or requesting charitable contributions to or from a client, prospect, vendor, or other business contact. Under certain Anti-bribery laws, regulators may consider charitable contributions to be improper payments, even when the person who has requested that the contribution be made receives no direct monetary benefit. Accordingly, when making charitable contributions in response to requests from business contacts, associates must be mindful of how Anti-bribery laws could be implicated. In no case should charitable contributions be made on a quid pro quo basis.

Supervision of Charitable Contribution Requests. Managers and Division Heads are responsible for ensuring that responses to requests from clients, vendors, and other business contact and our requests to clients, vendors, and other business contacts for charitable contributions comply with these guidelines as well as respective departmental policies. Charitable contributions should be considered as separate and distinct from marketing and advertising expenditures. If you have any questions about a proposed charitable contribution, you should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before proceeding.

Requests Received from Clients, Vendors or Other Business Contacts for Corporate Charitable Contributions. On occasion, a T. Rowe Price entity may be asked by an employee of a client, vendor, or other business contact to make a charitable donation. In those instances where the T. Rowe Price Foundation does not make the contribution, the decision about the charitable contribution is made by the T. Rowe Price entity, subject to the following conditions:

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The amount of charitable contribution may not be linked to the actual or anticipated level of business with the client, vendor or other business contact whose employee is soliciting the charitable contribution;

There is no reason to believe that the employee requesting the contribution will derive an improper economic or pecuniary benefit as a result of the proposed contribution;

If the T. Rowe Price entity considering the contribution is unfamiliar with the charity, its personnel should confirm with the Central Control Group that the charity does not appear on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's Specially

Designated Nationals List;

The contribution should be made payable directly to the charity; and

Associates of the T. Rowe Price entity considering the contribution should check with Finance to determine the appropriate T. Rowe Price entity to make the contribution.

In addition, if the requested amount exceeds $1,000 the request must be referred to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee for prior approval.

Some broker-dealer's sponsor days, often referred to as "miracle" days, where they pledge that proceeds received on that day will be donated to a specific charity. Because of fiduciary and best execution obligations, the Price Advisers cannot agree to direct trades to a broker-dealer in support of such an event at either a client's or the broker-dealer's request. The Price Advisers are not prohibited, however, from placing trades for best execution that happen to occur on a "miracle" day or similar time and thus benefit a charity.

Requests Received from Clients, Vendors or Other Business Contacts for Personal Charitable Contributions. On occasion, a T. Rowe Price employee may be asked by an employee of a client, vendor or other business contact to make a charitable contribution. If the employee makes a contribution directly to the charity and the contribution is not made in the name of or for the benefit of the business contact, no Code of Ethics or FINRA issues arise. For example, a plan fiduciary might mention that her husband has recently recovered from a heart problem and that she is raising funds for a charity that supports cardiac research. The T. Rowe Price employee can make a personal contribution to that charity and if the contribution is not tied to the name of the business contact and does not create a benefit for her, the employee does not need to request prior clearance of or notify T. Rowe Price about the contribution.

However, personal charitable contributions made in the name of and for the benefit of a business contact should be treated as "gifts" to the business contact. For example, if the business contact raises a certain amount of money, he or she gets a tangible award or opportunity like the chance to participate in a marathon. For business contacts related to T. Rowe Price fund business or other broker-dealer related business, contributions of the latter type are subject to FINRA's $100 limit. For other business activities not regulated by FINRA, contributions in excess of $100 must be prior approved by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee.

Requests to Clients, Vendors, or Other Business Contacts for Charitable Contributions. Employees should be sensitive to a possible perception of undue influence

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before requesting a client, vendor, business contact or an employee of such an entity to make a charitable contribution. In no case should such a request be made on a quid pro quo basis. If you have any questions about requesting a charitable contribution you should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before proceeding.

NASDAQ Listing Rules. Under the NASDAQ listing rules, specific restrictions may apply to contributions to a charitable organization for which an independent director of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. serves as an officer. Specifically, contributions to such organizations during a fiscal year may not exceed the higher of five percent of the organizations revenues or $200,000. Contributions in excess of these thresholds may invalidate a director's "independent" classification.

Conflicts of Interest. All employees must avoid placing themselves in a "compromising position" where their interests may be in conflict with those of Price Group or its clients. In addition, employees are legally required to perform their job duties in the best interests of the firm; referred to as a duty of loyalty. This means that employees cannot enrich themselves at the expense of T. Rowe Price, actively compete with the firm, divert business to a competitor, and must always seek to protect the assets of the T. Rowe Price.

Relationships with Profitmaking Enterprises. Depending upon the circumstances, an employee may be prohibited from creating or maintaining a relationship with a profitmaking enterprise. In all cases, written approval must be obtained as described below.

General Prohibitions. Employees are generally prohibited from serving as officers or directors of any issuer (company) that is approved or likely to be approved for purchase in our firm's client accounts. In addition, an employee may not accept or continue outside employment that will require him or her to become registered (or duly registered) as a representative of an unaffiliated broker-dealer, investment adviser or insurance broker or company unless approval to do so is first obtained in writing from the Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") of the broker- dealer. An employee also may not become independently registered as an investment adviser.

Approval Process. Any outside business activity, which may include a second job, appointment as an officer or director of or a member of an advisory board to a for-profit enterprise, or self-employment, must be approved in writing by the employee's supervisor. If the employee is a registered representative of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, he or she must provide the Legal Registration Group with prior written notice. Any reported outside business activity of a registered representative is reviewed by Investment Services' CCO, or designee, in order to determine if disclosure to FINRA is required.

Review by Ethics Committee. If an employee contemplates obtaining an interest or relationship that might conflict or appear to conflict with the interest of Price Group, he or she must also receive the prior written approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee and, as appropriate, the Ethics Committee itself. Examples of relationships that might create a conflict or appear to create a conflict of interest may include appointment as a director, officer or partner of or member of an advisory board to an outside profitmaking enterprise,

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employment by another firm in the securities industry, or self-employment in an investment capacity. Decisions by the Ethics Committee regarding such positions in outside profitmaking enterprises may be reviewed by the Management Committee before becoming final.

Approved Service as Director or Similar Position. Certain employees may serve as directors or as members of creditor committees or in similar positions for non- public, for-profit entities in connection with their professional activities at the firm. An employee must receive the written permission of the Management Committee before accepting such a position and must relinquish the position if the entity becomes publicly held, unless otherwise determined by the Management Committee.

Service with Nonprofitmaking Organizations. Price Group encourages its employees to become involved in community programs and civic affairs. However, employees should not permit such activities to affect the performance of their job responsibilities.

Approval Process. The approval process for service with a non-profitmaking organization varies depending upon the activity undertaken.

By Supervisor. An employee must receive the approval of his or her supervisor in writing before accepting a position as an officer, trustee, or member of the Board of Directors of any nonprofit organization.

By Ethics Committee Chairperson. If there is any possibility that the organization will issue and/or sell securities, the employee must also receive the written approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee and, as appropriate, the Chief Compliance Officer of the broker-dealer before accepting the position.

Although individuals serving as officers, Board members or trustees for nonprofitmaking entities that will not issue or sell securities do not need to receive this additional approval, they must be sensitive to potential conflict of interest situations (e.g., the entity is considering entering a business relationship with a T. Rowe Price entity) and must contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee for guidance if such a situation arises.

Relationships with Financial Services Firms. In order to avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest, employees are prohibited from investing in or entering into any relationship, either directly or indirectly, with corporations, partnerships, or other entities that are engaged in business as a broker, a dealer, an underwriter, and/or an investment adviser. As described above, this prohibition generally extends to registration and/or licensure with an unaffiliated firm. This prohibition, however, is not meant to prevent employees from purchasing publicly traded securities of broker-dealers, investment advisers or other companies engaged in the mutual fund industry. All such purchases are subject to prior transaction clearance and reporting procedures, as applicable. This policy also does not preclude an employee from engaging an outside investment adviser to manage his or her assets.

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If any member of employee's immediate family is employed by or has a partnership interest in a broker-dealer, investment adviser, or other entity engaged in the mutual fund industry, the relationship must be reported to the Ethics Committee.

An ownership interest of 0.5% or more in any entity, including a broker-dealer, investment adviser or other company engaged in the mutual fund industry, must be reported to the Code Compliance Team.

Relationships with a Bank. In order to avoid any regulatory conflicts of interests associated with an outside business activity associated with a bank, employees are required to obtain prior written approval before engaging in any outside business activity with a bank.

Approval Process. Any outside business activity with a bank, such as a second job, must be approved in writing by the employee's supervisor and by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, or his designee.

Existing Relationships with Potential Vendors. If an employee is going to be involved in the selection of a vendor to supply goods or services to the firm, he or she must disclose the existence of any ongoing personal or family relationship with any principal of the vendor to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee in writing before becoming involved in the selection process.

Investment in Client/Vendor Company Stock. In some instances, existing or prospective clients (e.g., clients with full-service relationships with T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.) or vendors ask to speak to our portfolio managers and/or analysts who have responsibility for a Price Fund or other managed account in an effort to promote investment in their securities. While these meetings present an opportunity to learn more about the client/vendor and may therefore be helpful to T. Rowe Price, employees must be aware of the potential conflicts presented by such meetings. In order to avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest:

Employees are prohibited from providing any internal information (e.g., internal ratings or plans for future Price Fund or other client account purchases) to the client or vendor regarding the securities, except to the extent specifically authorized by the Legal Department, and

Investment decisions of employees regarding a client's or vendor's securities must be made independently of the client or vendor relationship and cannot be based on any express or implied quid pro quo. If a situation arises where a client has suggested that it is considering either expanding or eliminating its relationship with T. Rowe Price (or, in the case of a vendor, offering a more or less favorable pricing structure) based upon whether Price increases purchases of the client's or vendor's securities, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee should be consulted immediately for guidance.

In addition, the use of information derived from such meetings with existing or prospective clients or vendors must conform to the Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non- Public) Information.

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Conflicts in Connection with Proxy Voting. If a portfolio manager or analyst with the authority to vote a proxy or recommend a proxy vote for a security owned by a Price Fund or a client of a Price Adviser has an immediate family member who is an officer or director or has a material business relationship with the issuer of the security, the portfolio manager or analyst should inform the Proxy Committee of the relationship so that the Proxy Committee can assess any conflict of interest that may affect whether the proxy should or should not be voted in accordance with the firm's proxy voting policies.

Confidentiality. The exercise of confidentiality extends to the all areas of our operations, including internal operating procedures and planning; current, prospective and former clients; investment advice; investment research; employee information and contractual obligations to protect third party confidential information. The duty to exercise confidentiality applies not only while associates and others are with the firm, but also after a person leaves the firm. Following are examples of the type of confidential information with which associates may come into contact:

Internal operating procedures and planning, including methods of operation and portfolio management, corporate financial information, and future initiatives the firm is considering.

Client information, including the identity of current, prospective, or former clients of any type (e.g., mutual fund shareholder, separate account client, etc.), agents of clients, and related data concerning clients (e.g., government-issued numbers, account numbers, addresses, investments, etc.).

Confidential information of third parties with whom we deal, such as the business operations of a vendor we use.

Investment research, including what securities we are considering for purchase or sale on behalf of our commingled investment vehicles or clients.

Information about our associates and contractors, such as name, government-issued numbers, health conditions, and financial or performance information.

Portfolio holdings for a commingled investment vehicle or separate account.

In addition to laws that can apply to the collection and use of such information, Price Group also may be subject to contractual commitments. It is important to remember that your role is to use confidential information of others, such as information of clients or other associates, only as needed to perform your job; to handle such information in a secure manner; to not use or share such data for your own or other non-business purposes; and to promptly report any potential issues about the security, availability, or integrity of such information to the Help Desk.

Expense Payments and Reimbursements. As a general rule, T. Rowe Price will not pay or reimburse expenses, such as travel, accommodation and meals, to a business contact and will not accept payment or reimbursement from a business contact for those types of expenses. Exceptions may only be granted with approval of the employee's supervisor and Division Head and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. Business units may adopt policies and procedures that permit T. Rowe Price to pay or reimburse expenses incurred by business contacts for attendance at certain T. Rowe Price sponsored events. Such policies and procedures must contain provisions that describe the circumstances in which such payments are allowed and the controls and conditions that will apply. Additionally, the policies and procedures must be approved by the Division Head and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. This general rule does not apply to

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"business entertainment" which is covered in the Statement of Policy on Gifts and Business Entertainment.

Financial Reporting. Price Group's records are maintained in a manner that provides for an accurate record of all financial transactions in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. No false or deceptive entries may be made, and all entries must contain an appropriate description of the underlying transaction. All reports, vouchers, bills, invoices, payroll and service records and other essential data must be accurate, honest and timely and should provide an accurate and complete representation of the facts. The Audit Committee of Price Group has adopted specific procedures regarding the receipt, retention and treatment of certain auditing and accounting complaints. Refer to Responsibility to Report Violations on page 2-14.

Gifts and Business Entertainment. The firm has adopted a comprehensive policy on providing and receiving gifts and business entertainment, which is found in the Code in the Statement of Policy on Gifts and Business Entertainment (page 3-1).

Human Resources. Associates should refer to the appropriate Associate Handbook for more information on the policies referenced in this section as well as other Human Resources policies.

Equal Opportunity. Price Group is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity ("EEO") and the maximum optimization of our associates' abilities. We believe our continued success depends on the equal treatment of all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, military and veteran status, pregnancy, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws.

This commitment to EEO covers all aspects of the employment relationship including recruitment, application and initial employment, promotion, transfer, training and development, compensation, and benefits. All associates of T. Rowe Price are expected to comply with the spirit and intent of our EEO Policy. If you feel you have not been treated in accordance with this policy, contact your immediate supervisor, the appropriate Price Group manager or a Human Resources representative. No retaliation will be taken against you if you report an incident of alleged discrimination in good faith.

Drug and Alcohol Policy. Price Group is committed to providing a drug-free workplace and preventing alcohol abuse in the workplace. Drug and alcohol misuse and abuse affect the health, safety, and well-being of all Price Group associates and customers and restrict the firm's ability to carry out its mission. Associates must perform job duties unimpaired by illegal drugs or the improper use of legal drugs or alcohol.

Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination. Price Group is committed to providing a safe working environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Associates have the right to enjoy a workplace that is conducive to high performance, promotes equal opportunity, and prohibits discrimination including harassment.

Price Group will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or other types of inappropriate behavior directed by or toward an associate, supervisor/manager, contractor, vendor, customer, visitor, or other business partner. Accordingly, the firm will not tolerate

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harassment or intimidation of any associate based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, veteran status, pregnancy discrimination, or any other classification protected by country, federal, state, or local law. In addition, Price Group does not tolerate slurs, threats, intimidation, or any similar written, verbal, physical, or computer-related conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward any individual. Harassment will not be tolerated on our property or in any other work-related setting such as business-sponsored social events or business trips. If you are found to have engaged in conduct inconsistent with this policy, you will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including, termination of employment.

Health and Safety in the Workplace. Price Group recognizes its responsibility to provide personnel a safe and healthful workplace and proper facilities to help them perform their jobs effectively.

Use of Employee Likenesses and Information. Price Group is permitted to use employees' names, biographical information, images, job descriptions, and other relevant business data for purposes of complying with legal requirements and/or as part of its legitimate interests in managing its business, including any T. Rowe Price sponsored community or charitable event. Price Group will seek an employee's explicit consent for a proposed use of the employee's likeness or other information when required to do so under applicable law.

Employment of Former Government and Self-Regulatory Organization Employees. U.S. laws and regulations govern the employment of former employees of the U.S. Government and its agencies, including the SEC. In addition, certain states have adopted similar statutory restrictions. Finally, certain states and municipalities that are clients of the Price Advisers have imposed contractual restrictions in this regard. Before any action is taken to discuss employment by Price Group of a former government or regulatory or self-regulatory organization employee, whether in the U.S. or internationally, guidance must be obtained from the Legal Department.

Inside Information. The purchase or sale of securities while in possession of material, inside information is prohibited by U.S., UK, and other international, state and other governmental laws and regulations. Information is considered inside and material if it has not been publicly disclosed and is sufficiently important that it would affect the decision of a reasonable person to buy, sell or hold securities in an issuer, including Price Group. Under no circumstances may you transmit such information to any other person, except to Price Group personnel who are required to be kept informed on the subject. You should read and understand the Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-Public) Information.

Investment Clubs. Access Persons must receive the prior clearance of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee before forming or participating in a stock or investment club. Transactions in which Access Persons have beneficial ownership or control (defined on page 5-4) through investment clubs are subject to the firm's Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions. Approval to form or participate in a stock or investment club may permit the execution of securities transactions without prior transaction clearance by the Access Person, except transactions in Price Group stock, if the Access Person has beneficial ownership solely by virtue of his or her spouse's participation in the club and has no investment control or input into

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decisions regarding the club's securities transactions. Non-Access Persons (defined on page 5-4) do not have to receive prior clearance to form or participate in a stock or investment club and need only obtain prior clearance of transactions in Price Group stock.

Marketing and Sales Activities. All written and oral sales and marketing materials and presentations must be in compliance with applicable SEC, FINRA, Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS"), FCA, and other applicable international requirements. All such materials (whether for the Price Funds, other commingled investment vehicles, non-Price funds, or various advisory or Brokerage services) must be reviewed and approved by the Legal Department's Global Communications Compliance Team, as appropriate, prior to use. All performance data distributed outside the firm, including total return and yield information, must be obtained from databases sponsored by the Performance Group.

Outside Business Activities. Please refer to Conflicts of Interest (page 2-4).

Past and Current Litigation and Inquiries from Regulators or Governmental Organizations. As a condition of employment, each new employee is required to provide information regarding past and current civil (including arbitrations) and criminal actions and certain regulatory matters. Price Group uses the information obtained to respond to questions asked on governmental, regulatory, and self-regulatory registration forms and for insurance and bonding purposes.

Each employee is responsible for keeping responses pertaining to past and current civil (including arbitrations) and criminal actions and certain regulatory matters updated (notify Code Compliance). An employee should notify Human Resources and either the Legal Department or the International Compliance Team promptly if he or she:

Becomes the subject of any proceeding or is convicted of or pleads guilty or no contest to or agrees to enter a pretrial diversion program relating to any felony or misdemeanor or similar criminal charge in a U.S. (federal, state, or local), foreign or military court,

Becomes the subject of a Regulatory Action, which includes any action initiated by a securities regulator (e.g. Securities and Exchange Commission (U.S.), Financial Conduct Authority (UK), Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, etc.), or

Receives an inquiry from any regulator or governmental authority.

Political Activities and Contributions. Price Group and its subsidiaries as well as their employees are subject to various federal, state and local laws regarding political contributions. These regulations can restrict the ability of the firm and its employees to make political contributions. In particular, the SEC has adopted Rule 206(4)-5 of the Advisers Act, known as the "Pay-To-Play" rule. The rule was adopted to address pay-to-play practices under which direct or indirect payments by investment advisers, and certain of their executive or employees, to state and local government officials in the U.S. may be perceived to improperly influence the award of government investment business. Generally, the rule prohibits an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation to a government entity client for two years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees make a contribution over a de minimis amount to certain elected officials or candidates. The rule affects T. Rowe Price and its employees because government entities use the firm's advisory services and also invest in T. Rowe Price mutual funds.

The firm has adopted a "Statement of Policy Regarding Political Contributions" ("Political

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Contributions Policy" or "Policy") to comply with the SEC rule and other applicable laws and requirements. Under the Policy, all T. Rowe Price employees globally are required to prior clear proposed political contributions, as defined in the Policy, to any candidate, officeholder, political party, Political Action Committee ("PAC"), political organization, or bond ballot campaign in the U.S. Note that employees must separately ensure that they are eligible by applicable law to make the contribution at issue; for example, U.S. law generally permits only U.S. citizens and "green card" holders to contribute to federal, state, and local elections. Employees are generally prohibited from coordinating, or soliciting third parties to make, a contribution or payment to any candidate, officeholder, political party, PAC, political organization, or bond ballot campaign in the U.S. Additionally, employees are prohibited from doing anything indirectly that, if done directly, would violate this Policy. Any questions about the Political Contributions Policy should be directed to the "Political Contribution Requests" mailbox.

In addition to the requirements imposed by the SEC rule, all U.S.-based officers and directors of Price Group and its subsidiaries are required to disclose certain Maryland local and state political contributions on a semi-annual basis and certain Pennsylvania political contributions on an annual basis. Certain employees associated with Investment Services are subject to limitations on and additional reporting requirements about their political contributions under Rule G-37 of the U.S. Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board ("MSRB"). Furthermore, the firm and/or some employees are subject to additional restrictions because of client contractual stipulations.

U.S. law prohibits corporate contributions to campaign elections for federal office (e.g., U.S. Senate and House of Representatives). The SEC rule effectively prohibits corporate contributions by the firm to state and local elections.

No political contribution of corporate funds, direct or indirect, to any political candidate or party, or to any other program that might use the contribution for a political candidate or party, or use of corporate property, services or other assets may be made without the written prior approval of the Legal Department. These prohibitions cover not only direct contributions, but also indirect assistance or support of candidates or political parties through purchase of tickets to special dinners or other fundraising events, or the furnishing of any other goods, services or equipment to political parties or committees. Neither Price Group nor its employees or independent directors may make a political contribution for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business with government entities.

T. Rowe Price does not reimburse employees for making contributions to individual candidates or committees. Additionally, the firm cannot provide paid leave time to employees for political campaign activity. However, employees may use personal time or paid vacation or may request unpaid leave to participate in political campaigning.

T. Rowe Price does not have a PAC. However, T. Rowe Price has granted permission to the Investment Company Institute's PAC ("ICI PAC"), which serves the interests of the Investment company industry, to solicit T. Rowe Price's senior management on an annual basis to make contributions to ICI PAC or candidates designated by ICI PAC. Contributions to ICI PAC are entirely voluntary. Additionally, proposed contributions to the ICI PAC must go through the prior clearance process.

As noted above, the SEC rule prohibits most solicitation activities. To the extent the Legal Department approves solicitation activities in accordance with applicable rules or other requirements employees, officers, and directors of T. Rowe Price may not solicit campaign

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contributions from employees without adhering to T. Rowe Price's policies regarding solicitation. These include the following:

It must be clear that the solicitation is personal and is not being made on behalf of T. Rowe Price.

It must be clear that any contribution is entirely voluntary.

T. Rowe Price's stationery and email system may not be used.

An employee who wants to participate in political campaigns or run for political office should consult with his or her immediate supervisor to make sure that this activity does not conflict with his or her job responsibilities. Also, the employee should contact the Legal Department to discuss any activities which may be prohibited.

Lobbying. It is important to realize that under some state laws, even limited contact, either in person or by other means, with public officials in that state may trigger that state's lobbying laws. For example, in Maryland, if $2,500 of a person's compensation can be attributed to face-to-face contact with legislative or executive officials in a six-month reporting period, he or she may be required to register as a Maryland lobbyist subject to a variety of restrictions and requirements. Therefore, it is imperative that you avoid any lobbying on behalf of the firm, whether in-person or by other means (e.g., telephone, letter) unless the activity is cleared first by the Legal Department, so that you do not inadvertently become subject to regulation as a lobbyist. If you have any question whether your contact with a state's officials may trigger lobbying laws in that state, please contact the Legal Department before proceeding.

Professional Designations. It is the supervisor's responsibility to confirm that any designation (CFA, CFP, etc.) used by his or her direct reports in connection with T. Rowe Price business, including its use, is a valid designation issued by a reputable credentialing organization. In addition, the supervisor must take reasonable steps to confirm that the associate has earned the designation; it is relevant to his or her job and is authorized to use it. It is the responsibility of the associate to comply with the professional standards and reporting obligations of the organization that administers and authorizes the use of the professional designation. Any questions should be directed to the Legal Department.

Protection of Corporate Assets. All personnel are responsible for taking measures to ensure that Price Group's assets are properly protected. This responsibility not only applies to our business facilities, equipment and supplies, but also to intangible assets such as proprietary research or marketing information, corporate trademarks and service marks, copyrights, client relationships, and business opportunities. Accordingly, you may not solicit for your personal benefit clients or utilize client relationships to the detriment of the firm. Similarly, you may not solicit co-workers to act in any manner detrimental to the firm's interests.

Quality of Services. It is a continuing policy of Price Group to provide investment products and services that meet applicable laws, regulations and industry standards, are offered to the public in a manner that ensures that each client/shareholder understands the objectives of each investment product selected, and are properly advertised and sold in accordance with all applicable SEC, FCA, FINRA, and other international, state and self-regulatory rules and regulations.

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The quality of Price Group's investment products and services and operations affects our reputation, productivity, profitability, and market position. Price Group's goal is to be a quality leader and to create conditions that allow and encourage all employees to perform their duties in an efficient, effective manner.

Record Retention and Destruction. Under various U.S., UK, other international, state, and other governmental laws and regulations, certain of Price Group's subsidiaries are required to produce, maintain and retain various records, documents and other written (including electronic) communications. Different requirements can apply depending on the type of records, for example client-related records as opposed to HR-related records or general business records. Any questions regarding retention requirements should be addressed to the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

You must use care in disposing of any confidential records or correspondence. Confidential material that is to be discarded should be placed in designated bins or should be shredded, as your department requires. If a quantity of material is involved, you should contact Document Management for instructions regarding proper disposal. Documents stored off-site are destroyed on a regular basis if the destruction is approved by the appropriate business contact.

Generally, there can be legal prohibitions from destroying any existing records that may be relevant to any current, pending or threatened litigation, or regulatory investigation or audit. These records would include emails, calendars, memoranda, board agendas, recorded conversations, studies, work papers, computer notes, handwritten notes, telephone records, expense reports, or similar material. If your business area is affected by litigation or an investigation or audit, you can expect to receive instructions from the Legal Department on how to proceed. Regardless of whether you receive such instructions, you should be prepared to secure relevant records once you become aware that they are subject to litigation or regulatory investigations or audits.

All personnel are responsible for adhering to the firm's record maintenance, retention, and destruction policies.

Referral Fees. U.S. securities laws strictly prohibit the payment of any type of referral fee unless certain conditions are met. This would include any compensation to persons who refer clients or shareholders to T. Rowe Price (e.g., brokers, registered representatives, consultants, or any other persons) either directly in cash, by fee splitting, or indirectly by the providing of gifts or services (including the allocation of brokerage). The FCA also prohibits the offering of any inducement likely to conflict with the duties of the recipient. No arrangements should be entered into obligating Price Group or any employee to pay a referral fee unless approved first by the Legal Department.

Release of Information to the Press. All requests for information from the media concerning T. Rowe Price Group's corporate affairs, mutual funds, investment services, investment philosophy and policies, and related subjects should be referred to the appropriate Corporate Communications/Public Relations contact for reply. Investment professionals who are contacted directly by the press concerning a particular fund's investment strategy or market outlook may use their own discretion but are advised to check with the appropriate Corporate Communications/Public Relations contact if they do not know the reporter or feel it may be inappropriate to comment on a particular matter. Please refer to the Global Media Engagement Guidelines located on the Exchange for additional information.

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Responsibility to Report Violations. The following is a description of reporting requirements and procedures that may or do arise if an officer or employee becomes aware of material violations of the Code or applicable laws or regulations.

General Obligation. If an officer or employee becomes aware of a material violation of the Code or any applicable law or regulation, he or she must report it to the Chief Compliance Officer of the applicable Price Adviser ("Chief Compliance Officer") or his or her designee, provided the designee provides a copy of all reports of violations to the Chief Compliance Officer. Reports submitted in paper form should be sent in a confidential envelope. Any report may be submitted anonymously; anonymous complaints must be in writing and sent in a confidential envelope to the Chief Compliance Officer. Officers and employees may also contact any governmental and/or regulatory authority (e.g. SEC and FINRA in the U.S., FCA in the UK, SFC in Hong Kong, etc.).

Global Whistleblower Procedures. Price Group has adopted procedures for associates to report potential or actual violations of laws and regulations in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The procedures outline steps associates can take to report matters internally to the Legal Department, or on an anonymous basis through the Whistleblower Hotline, or externally to a regulatory authority. The procedures are located in the firm's policy and procedures repository.

It is Price Group's policy that no adverse action will be taken against any person as a result of that person becoming aware of a violation of the Code and reporting the violation in good faith.

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures. Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Audit Committee of Price Group has adopted procedures ("Procedures") regarding the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by Price Group regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of Price Group or any of its affiliates of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. All employees should familiarize themselves with these Procedures, which are posted in the firm's policies and procedures repository.

Under the Procedures, complaints regarding certain auditing and accounting matters should be sent to Chief Legal Counsel, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., The Legal Department either through interoffice mail in a confidential envelope or by mail marked confidential to P.O. Box 37283, Baltimore, Maryland 21297-3283, or a report may be made by calling the toll- free hotline at 888-651-6223.

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements. Attorneys employed or retained by Price Group or any of the Price Funds are also subject to certain reporting requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The relevant procedures are posted in the firm's policies and procedures repository.

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Circulation of Rumors. Individuals subject to the Code shall not originate or circulate in any manner a rumor concerning any security which the individual knows or has reasonable grounds for believing is false or misleading or would improperly influence the market price of that security. You must promptly report to the Legal Department any circumstance which would reasonably lead you to believe that such a rumor might have been originated or circulated.

Service as Trustee, Executor or Personal Representative. You may serve as the trustee, co- trustee, executor or personal representative for the estate of or a trust created by close family members. You may also serve in such capacities for estates or trusts created by nonfamily members. However, if an Access Person expects to be actively involved in an investment capacity in connection with an estate or trust created by a nonfamily member, he or she must first be granted permission by the Ethics Committee. If you serve in any of these capacities, securities transactions affected in such accounts will be subject to the prior transaction clearance (Access Persons only, except for Price Group stock transactions, which require prior transaction clearance by all personnel) and reporting requirements (Access Persons and Non-Access Persons) of our Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions. If you presently serve in any of these capacities for non- family members, you should report the relationship in writing to the Ethics Committee.

Speaking Engagements and Publications. Employees are often asked to accept speaking engagements on the subject of investments, finance, or their own particular specialty with our organization. This is encouraged by the firm as it enhances our public relations. You should obtain approval from your supervisor and Division Head before you accept such requests. You may also accept an offer to teach a course or seminar on investments or related topics (for example, at a local college) in your individual capacity with the approval of your supervisor and Division Head, provided the course is in compliance with the Guidelines found in T. Rowe Price Investment Services' Compliance Manual. Before making any commitment to write or publish any article or book on a subject related to investments or your work at Price Group, approval should be obtained from your supervisor and Division Head.

Social Media. As T. Rowe Price associates, anything we say or do in our personal communications, including on social media, can reflect on T. Rowe Price's brand and reputation. We should be aware of this when making personal posts and remember that nothing we say in the social media space is totally private and, in fact, may be available indefinitely.

While T. Rowe Price does not discourage associates from using social media to maintain personal connections, it is important to understand what is acceptable and prohibited when using social media. The T. Rowe Price Policy for Associate Use of Social Media, available on the Exchange, sets forth the permissible use of social media, whether for personal or business use, by T. Rowe Price associates. Examples of permissible and impermissible actions include:

Do not discuss work or specific projects or products on any social network account;

Do not post any information about T. Rowe Price products, services, competitors, business contacts, or other associates without prior authorization and training;

Do not respond to questions or comments about T, Rowe Price products or services without prior authorization and training;

Do not comment on any individual posts;

Associates can share any T. Rowe Price job vacancy listed on the T. Rowe Price Careers site or LinkedIn Jobs page on the network of their choice;

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Associates can "like" or "follow" T. Rowe Price social media pages; and

Associates can only "like" and share individuals posts that have been identified as approved for associate interaction.

The policy applies whether or not associates are on company premises and whether or not associates are using a T. Rowe Price system, T. Rowe Price-issued device, or personal device. The policy is designed to provide associates with clear direction when using social media to ensure the firm's compliance with applicable regulations when engaging in social media channels, and to protect our associates, our clients, and the company.

Systems Security. Computer systems and programs play a central role in Price Group's operations. To establish appropriate systems security to minimize potential for loss or disruptions to our computer operations, Price Group has adopted a Statement of Policy on Systems Security and Related Issues (page 6-30).

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

GIFTS AND BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT

T. Rowe Price adopted this policy to govern the receipt and giving of gifts and business entertainment by all employees of T. Rowe Price globally ("Associates"). The giving and receiving of gifts and business entertainment must be carefully considered by Associates to avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest.

Associates are encouraged to ask for guidance about how to apply this policy in advance of giving or receiving a gift or business entertainment. Questions can be directed to your manager or to the Legal Department.

The Code and laws in numerous jurisdictions regulate gifts and entertainment to ensure that such practices do not constitute the direct or indirect provision or receipt of bribes, kickbacks, quid pro quos, or other corrupt practices. Please refer to the "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Other Illegal Payments" section of the Code and the firm's "Compliance Policy and Program Statement Relating to Anti-Bribery Laws and Prohibitions Against Illegal Payments."

Specific controls are applicable to ERISA plans and certain other regulatory regimes – see "Jurisdictions and Specific Requirements" section.

Gifts

The term "gift" has a broad meaning, including merchandise, gratuities and the use of property or facilities for weekends, vacations, and trips, including transportation and lodging costs, but does not include items of nominal value (defined later in this policy).

General rules for all Associates:

You may not give gifts in excess of US$100 (aggregate annual limit per business contact). You may not receive gifts in excess of US$100 (aggregate annual limit per organization). Please note that gifts given to a business contact's family member (e.g., spouse or children) will count towards the US$100 annual gift limit for that business contact.

You may not accept gifts from broker-dealers.

You may not give gifts to or receive gifts from a vendor, client, prospect, or a lead manager of a consultant who has active negotiations or Requests for Proposals

("RFPs") for services or products.

Any gift, given or received, must be reported.

Gifts may never be given or received in consideration of any business or transaction, or in connection with the purchase or sale of client securities or other investments.

Gifts of cash or cash equivalents may not be given or received.

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Items of Nominal Value

Other than as noted in the Jurisdictions and Specific Requirements section of this policy, the term "gift" as described in this policy does not include an item of nominal value. Items with a value of US$50 or less are regarded as nominal items. For example, items such as pens, notepads, modest desk ornaments, or items that display the giving firm's logo, which are typically given out at conferences or elsewhere, would generally fall within this exclusion. If an item is to be given in connection with the broker-dealer's business, its value must not exceed US$50 and the item must have the TRP corporate logo permanently affixed to be exempt from the definition of "gift."

Personal Gift Exclusion

A personal gift given or received in recognition of a "life event" such as a baby or wedding gift, does not fall within this policy provided the gift is not "in relation to the business of the employer of the recipient." There should be a pre-existing personal or family relationship between the giver and the recipient. The giver, not the firm, should pay for the gift. In addition, if an Associate is giving a gift in recognition of a life event, the giver must obtain prior approval from his/her supervisor, Business Unit Head if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. If these conditions are met, the recordkeeping requirements and the US$100 limit do not apply.

Gifts Received by Attendees at an Event

Any gift or gifts received by Associates at an event (e.g., industry conference, vendor user conference, investor relations event, etc.), other than nominal gifts (see above), must be reported and the total value cannot exceed the US$100 gift limit. If an event provides a gift or gifts with a value greater than US$100, Associates may decline to accept the gift, donate it to charity or, with the approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, present the gift to the Associate's Business Unit for a random draw of an identified group of associates of an appropriate size.

Group Gifts

When a group gift valued at up to US$100 (e.g., chocolate assortment) is sent by a T. Rowe Price Associate, the gift report must identify the name of at least one business contact at the receiving organization. If an Associate or a T. Rowe Price department receives a gift that is valued in excess of the US$100 limit, it can be shared amongst Associates provided no single Associate's share of the gift exceeds the US$100 limit. Alternatively, with the approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, the gift can be awarded to the winner of a random draw of an identified group of associates of an appropriate size or donate it to charity.

Recurring Gifts

Tickets or other gifts (including nominal value items) may not be given nor accepted from a business contact or firm on a standing, recurring, or ongoing basis. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring how frequently their Associates receive and give gifts to/from specific business contacts to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Calculation of Value

Gifts should be valued at the cost paid by the giver. Associates and Managers should be mindful that if the market value of a gift is materially greater than the cost, consultation with the Legal Department may be appropriate to determine if another value should be used.

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Business Entertainment

Entertainment must serve a legitimate and appropriate business purpose ("Business Entertainment"). Generally, business entertainment includes meals and sporting events with business contacts (e.g., clients or vendors). Associates should be mindful that business entertainment should generally not be solicited and only accepted after an invitation from your host. Both the Associate and the business contact must be in attendance for an event to be classified as business entertainment. Business entertainment should not be so frequent or so lavish with the same business contact or client, that when viewed in its entirety, it could be viewed as a potential conflict of interest. See "Jurisdictions and Specific Requirements" for additional restrictions on Business Entertainment.

Reporting and Prior Clearance

1.Business entertainment valued above US$100 per person must be reported.

2.Business entertainment that exceeds US$250 per person requires prior approval by the

Associate's Manager and either the Business Unit Head or Region/Segment Head (as determined by the Business Unit).

3.Broker-dealer provision: All meal business entertainment received from broker-dealers above US$100 per person requires prior approval by the Associate's Manager and must be reported. All non-meal business entertainment received from broker-dealers, regardless of value, requires prior approval by the Associate's Manager and must be reported. T. Rowe Price (or in some cases, the Associate) will pay or reimburse the broker-dealer for such reported business entertainment.

4.Business entertainment that includes a guest (e.g., spouse or child) requires prior approval by the Associate's Manager and either the Business Unit Head or Region/Segment Head (as determined by the Business Unit). Keep in mind that the Associate may need to pay for the cost of the guest.

5.Business entertainment that does not occur in the normal course of business or is an event of national prominence requires prior approval by the Associate's Manager and either the

Business Unit Head or Region/Segment Head (as determined by the Business Unit).

6.Business entertainment may never be given or received in consideration of any business or transaction, or in connection with the purchase or sale of client securities or other investments.

Each Business Unit will implement procedures to assess and consider relevant factors when determining if approval should be granted in the circumstances requiring prior approval. For example, factors may include the purpose of the meeting, the nature of the event being conducive to conversation, the exclusivity of the event, the frequency of interaction with the business contact and whether T. Rowe Price or the Associate should be bearing some portion or all of the associated cost.

Post-Event Approval

In certain situations, an Associate may not be able to ascertain the cost of an event until after its conclusion, such as business dinners. In the event the business entertainment was expected to be 3-3

within these reporting thresholds (e.g., less than US$250 per person) but unexpectedly exceeds them, the Associate must promptly report such entertainment to his/her Manager for further discussion. In these limited circumstances and after review by the Associate's Manager, "post- event" approval by a Region/Segment Head or Business Unit Head (as determined by the Business Unit) will be considered to be in compliance with this policy.

Transportation and Lodging

Generally, the cost of transportation and lodging expenses associated with business entertainment should be borne by the party using the transportation or lodging. Ordinary ground transportation such as a taxi ride or a courtesy shuttle is not subject to this restriction.

Active RFPs/Business Transactions

Associates may not entertain key decision makers of a vendor, prospect or current client (or their lead manager consultant) with an active RFP or where material negotiations of specific business or transactions are taking place. Key decision makers are those individuals who have significant influence on the decision related to the RFP or transaction which would include an ERISA plan fiduciary representative. However, meals closely associated with substantive business meetings (i.e., plan reviews, due diligence visits, investment reviews, educational sessions) are permitted.

Large-Scale Events

The cost-per-individual at an event (e.g., industry conference, vendor user conference, investor relations event) is not counted towards US$250 prior approval threshold provided that the conference has a reasonable relationship to the duties of the attending Associate(s) and the expenses for attendance are reasonable in light of the benefits afforded to the firm by such attendance. Associates should keep in mind that if there are separate excursions or other entertainment connected with the large-scale event (e.g., golf outings, boating trips, etc.) then the reporting and prior clearance requirements will apply to these separate events.

Calculation of Value

Business entertainment should be valued at the cost paid by the giver. Associates and Managers should be mindful that if the market value of an event is materially greater than the cost, consultation with the Legal Department may be appropriate to determine if another value should be used.

Jurisdictions and Specific Requirements

In addition to the general gift and entertainment rules in this policy, certain jurisdictions or regulators may impose restrictions that are more stringent than the general provisions of this policy. Associates that work in a jurisdiction outside of their primary office jurisdiction are subject to the rules of the jurisdiction with the higher standards. The following sets forth a summary of those restrictions.

TRPIL and Its European Subsidiaries Associates: UK FCA Inducements Rules and Guidance

The FCA Conduct of Business rules requires that gifts and entertainment provided or received must not impair our ability to act in the best interests of our clients. Guidance issued by the FCA notes that business entertainment in the form of sporting events or other social events may not be considered as capable of enhancing the quality of service to clients as they may either not be

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conducive to business discussions or the discussions could better take place without these activities. The following additional policy requirements apply to T. Rowe Price International Ltd ("TRPIL") and its European subsidiaries:

Business Entertainment: All non-meal business entertainment provided or received, regardless of value, and regardless of whether it is provided by a broker-dealer or to or from other third-party business contacts, requires prior approval by the associate's manager and must be reported. T. Rowe Price (or in some cases, the associate) will pay or reimburse the donor for such reported business entertainment.

In determining approval, the associates' manager must consider whether the non-meal entertainment is capable of enhancing the quality of service to the client. Spectating at a sporting event or attending a concert or the theatre will not generally be considered to enhance the quality of service to the client and cannot generally therefore be accepted from or given to a third party. Participatory events such as a round of golf may be acceptable upon demonstration by the associate that the event is both conducive to business discussions and ultimately benefits our client. The approval must be clearly documented.

While the reimbursement to the business contact (by T. Rowe Price or the associate) removes the key inducement, there is possibly an intrinsic value in the invitation to an event in that it may not be available to the general public due to its popularity, the associate must be able to clearly demonstrate that the full market value is reimbursed to the business contact in order for their manager to approve.

U.S. - ERISA Covered Plans: US$250 Annual Limit

In accordance with guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, the annual limit in this policy on gifts and business entertainment provided to an ERISA plan fiduciary representative (including plan advisers serving in a fiduciary capacity) is US$250. All gifts and business entertainment provided to a fiduciary business contact count towards this US$250 annual limit and must be prior approved by the Associate's Manager or Region/Segment Head (as determined by the Business Unit) to help ensure the annual limit is not exceeded, except as provided below. Note that all gifts and business entertainment provided to a fiduciary business contact are subject to this policy's reporting and prior clearance rules, even if not counted towards the US$250 annual limit.

1.Meals provided by Associates to fiduciary business contacts at educational conferences, including T. Rowe Price hosted conferences; do not count towards the US$250 annual limit.

2.Meals and entertainment provided at educational conferences hosted by T. Rowe Price do not count towards the US$250 annual unit. Note that fiduciary business contacts may be subject to rules pertaining to their acceptance of meals and entertainment at such events. Consult with the Compliance Manager/SME within your business unit to determine your business unit guidelines for reminding recipients of these rules.

3.Meals provided to fiduciary business contacts and closely associated with substantive business meetings (e.g., plan reviews, due diligence visits, investment reviews, educational sessions) do not count towards the US$250 annual limit.

4.Expenses for ordinary ground transportation such as taxi ride or courtesy shuttle that are closely associated with a substantive business meeting or an educational conference do not

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count towards the US$250 annual limit. Transportation expenses associated with relationship- building and other forms of entertainment would count towards the US$250 annual limit.

5.Items of nominal value given to fiduciary business contacts are not subject to this policy's reporting requirements and do not count towards the US$250 annual limit. Generally, items that are less than US$10 are deemed to have nominal value. For the avoidance of doubt, any item that has a value greater than US$10, including items with a corporate logo permanently affixed, count towards the US$250 annual limit and must be reported.

6.Meals and entertainment provided by a Business Unit Head to a fiduciary business contact for purposes of obtaining market intelligence (and not to support sales activity) do not count towards the US$250 annual limit.

Note that all gifts, business entertainment, and meals given to or attended by guests of the fiduciary business contact(s) (including in the context of an educational conference) count towards the US$250 annual limit for the fiduciary and are subject to this policy's reporting and prior clearance rules.

Providing services or support (including some types of marketing support) to an ERISA plan fiduciary may be considered a gift. Consult with the Compliance Manager/SME within your business unit for assistance in evaluating whether such services or support would be subject to this policy.

Country and U.S. State Specific Requirements

Countries and U.S. states may adopt rules that govern the provision of gifts and business entertainment. Such rules may impose strict dollar limits or prohibitions on providing gifts and business entertainment which may be more restrictive than this policy. Additionally, these rules may impose increased reporting requirements on Associates. The Legal Department will work with business units to inform them of these jurisdictions' specific rules.

Reporting

It is ultimately the Associate's responsibility to properly report gifts and business entertainment, whether given or received, in accordance with each business unit's reporting procedures. All gifts must be reported within ten business days. All business entertainment must be reported promptly.

All gifts and business entertainment reports will be available for review by Legal & Compliance, including International Compliance, in conjunction with their responsibility to oversee our firm- wide compliance.

The U.S. Department of Labor has established strict gift and entertainment reporting rules relative to ERISA clients. All gifts and business entertainment of US$10 or more accepted from, provided to, or in relation to ERISA clients should be reported under the Associate's business unit's procedures.

Chair of the Ethics Committee

Special circumstances may arise that would require the review of the Chair of the Ethics Committee and may result in exceptions being granted to part or all of this policy.

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

MATERIAL, INSIDE (NON-PUBLIC) INFORMATION

Policy of Price Group on Insider Trading. It is the policy of Price Group and its affiliates to forbid any of their officers, directors, employees, or other personnel (e.g., consultants) while in possession of material, non-public information, from trading securities or recommending transactions, either personally or in their proprietary accounts or on behalf of others (including mutual funds and private accounts) or communicating material, non-public information to others in violation of securities laws of the U.S., the UK, or any other country that has jurisdiction over its activities. Material, non-public information includes not only certain information about issuers, but also certain information about T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and its operating subsidiaries as well as information pertaining to Price Funds and clients.

Purpose of Statement of Policy. As a global firm, Price Group is subject to a wide array of laws and regulations that prohibit the misuse of inside information. The purpose of this Statement of Policy ("Statement") is to describe and explain: (i) the general legal prohibitions and sanctions regarding insider trading under U.S. and global regulations and how they are applicable across the firm globally; (ii) the meaning of the key concepts underlying the prohibitions; (iii) your obligations in the event you come into possession of material, non-public information; and (iv) the firm's educational program regarding insider trading. Additionally, the U.S. Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act ("Act") requires Price Group to establish, maintain, and enforce written procedures designed to prevent insider trading.

Many jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia and most European countries, have laws and regulations prohibiting the misuse of inside information. While this Statement does not make specific reference to these laws and regulations, the Statement provides general guidance regarding appropriate activities that is applicable to all employees globally. There is, however, no substitute for knowledge of local laws and regulations. Employees are expected to understand the relevant local requirements where they work and comply with them. Any questions regarding the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction should be directed to the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

The Basic Insider Trading Prohibition. The "insider trading" doctrine under U.S. securities laws generally prohibits any person (including investment advisers) from:

Trading in a security while in possession of material, non-public information regarding the issuer of the security;

Tipping such information to others;

Recommending the purchase or sale of securities while in possession of such information;

Assisting someone who is engaged in any of the above activities.

Thus, "insider trading" is not limited to insiders of the issuer whose securities are being traded. It can also apply to non-insiders, such as investment analysts, portfolio managers, consultants and stockbrokers. In addition, it is not limited to persons who trade. It also covers persons who tip material, non-public information or recommend transactions in securities while in possession of

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such information. A "security" includes not just equity securities, but any security (e.g., corporate and municipal debt securities, including securities issued by the federal government).

"Need to Know" Policy. All information regarding planned, prospective or ongoing securities transactions must be treated as confidential. Such information must be confined, even within the firm, to only those individuals and departments that must have such information in order for the respective entity to carry out its engagement properly and effectively. Ordinarily, these prohibitions will restrict information to only those persons who are involved in the matter.

Transactions Involving Price Group Stock. You are reminded that you are an "insider" with respect to Price Group since Price Group is a public company and its stock is traded on the NASDAQ Stock market. It is therefore important that you not discuss with family, friends or other persons any matter concerning Price Group that might involve material, non-public information, whether favorable or unfavorable. You are prohibited from trading Price Group stock (TROW) if you are privy to material, non-public information.

Sanctions. Penalties for trading on material, non-public information are severe, both for the individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and for their firms. A person or entity that violates the insider trading laws can be subject to some or all of the penalties described below, even if he/she/it does not personally benefit from the violation:

Injunctions;

Treble damages;

Disgorgement of profits;

Criminal fines;

Jail sentences;

Civil penalties for the person who committed the violation (which would, under normal circumstances, be the employee and not the firm); and

Civil penalties for the controlling entity (e.g., Price Associates) and other persons, such as managers and supervisors, who are deemed to be controlling persons.

In addition, any violation of this Statement can be expected to result in serious sanctions being imposed by Price Group, including dismissal of the person(s) involved. The provisions of U.S. and UK law discussed below, and the laws of other jurisdictions are complex and wide ranging. If you are in any doubt about how they affect you, you must consult the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate.

U.S LAW AND REGULATION REGARDING INSIDER TRADING PROHIBITIONS

Introduction. "Insider trading" is a top enforcement priority of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act has far-reaching impact on all public companies and especially those engaged in the securities brokerage or investment advisory industries, including directors, executive officers and other controlling persons of such companies. Specifically, the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act:

Written Procedures. Requires SEC-registered brokers, dealers and investment advisers to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information by such persons.

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Penalties. Imposes severe civil penalties on brokerage firms, investment advisers, their management and advisory personnel, and other "controlling persons" who fail to take adequate steps to prevent insider trading and illegal tipping by employees and other "controlled persons." Additionally, the Act contains substantial criminal penalties, including monetary fines and jail sentences.

Private Right of Action. Establishes a statutory private right of action on behalf of contemporaneous traders against insider traders and their controlling persons.

Bounty Payments. Authorizes the SEC to award bounty payments to persons who provide information leading to the successful prosecution of insider trading violations. Bounty payments are at the discretion of the SEC but may not exceed 10 – 30% of the penalty imposed.

The Act has been supplemented by three SEC rules, 10b5-1, 10b5-2 and Fair Disclosure, which are discussed later in this Statement.

Basic Concepts of Insider Trading. The four critical concepts under U.S. law in insider trading cases are: (1) fiduciary duty/misappropriation, (2) materiality, (3) non-public and (4) use/possession. Each concept is discussed below.

Fiduciary Duty/Misappropriation. In two decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court outlined when insider trading and tipping violate the federal securities law if the trading or tipping of the information results in a breach of duty of trust or confidence.

The concept of who constitutes an "insider" is broad. It includes officers, directors, and employees of an issuer. In addition, a person can be a "temporary insider" if he or she enters into a confidential relationship in the conduct of an issuer's affairs and, as a result, is given access to information solely for the issuer's purpose. A temporary insider can include, among others, an issuer's attorneys, accountants, consultants, and bank lending officers, as well as the employees of such organizations. In addition, any person may become a temporary insider of an issuer if he or she advises the issuer or provides other services, provided the issuer expects such person to keep any material, non-public information confidential.

A typical breach of duty arises when an insider purchases securities of his or her corporation on the basis of material, non-public information. Such conduct breaches a duty owed to the corporation's shareholders. The duty breached, however, need not be to shareholders to support liability for insider trading; it could also involve a breach of duty to a client, an employer, employees, or even a personal acquaintance. For example, courts have held that if the insider receives a personal benefit (either direct or indirect) from the disclosure, such as a pecuniary gain or reputational benefit; that would be enough to find a fiduciary breach.

Court decisions have held that under a "misappropriation" theory, an outsider (such as an investment analyst) may be liable if he or she breaches a duty to anyone by: (1) obtaining information improperly, or (2) using information that was obtained properly for an improper purpose. For example, if information is given to an analyst on a confidential basis and the analyst uses that information for trading purposes, liability could arise under the misappropriation theory. Similarly, an analyst who trades in breach of a duty owed either to his or her employer or client may be liable under the misappropriation theory. For example, the Supreme Court upheld the

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misappropriation theory when a lawyer received material, non-public information from a law partner who represented a client contemplating a tender offer, where that lawyer used the information to trade in the securities of the target company.

SEC Rule 10b5-2 provides a non-exclusive definition of circumstances in which a person has a duty of trust or confidence for purposes of the "misappropriation" theory of insider trading. It states that a "duty of trust or confidence" exists in the following circumstances, among others:

(1)Whenever a person agrees to maintain information in confidence;

(2)Whenever the person communicating the material, nonpublic information and the person to whom it is communicated have a history, pattern, or practice of sharing confidences, that resulted in a reasonable expectation of confidentiality; or

(3)Whenever a person receives or obtains material, non-public information from his or her spouse, parent, child, or sibling unless it is shown affirmatively, based on the facts and circumstances of that family relationship, that there was no reasonable expectation of confidentiality.

The situations in which a person can trade while in possession of material, non-public information without breaching a duty are so complex and uncertain that the only safe course is not to trade, tip or recommend securities while in possession of material, non-public information.

Materiality. Insider trading restrictions arise only when the information that is used for trading, tipping or recommendations is "material." The information need not be so important that it would have changed an investor's decision to buy or sell; rather, it is enough that it is the type of information on which reasonable investors rely in making purchase, sale, or hold decisions.

Resolving Close Cases. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that, in close cases, doubts about whether or not information is material should be resolved in favor of a finding of materiality. You should also be aware that your judgment regarding materiality may be reviewed by a court or the SEC with the 20-20 vision of hindsight.

Effect on Market Price. Any information that, upon disclosure, is likely to have a significant impact on the market price of a security should be considered material. Future Events. The materiality of facts relating to the possible occurrence of future events depends on the likelihood that the event will occur and the significance of the event if it does occur.

Illustrations. The following list, though not exhaustive, illustrates the types of matters that might be considered material: a joint venture, merger or acquisition; the declaration or omission of dividends; the acquisition or loss of a significant contract; a change in control or a significant change in management; a call of securities for redemption; the borrowing of a significant amount of funds; the purchase or sale of a significant asset; a significant change in capital investment plans; a significant labor dispute or disputes with subcontractors or suppliers; an event requiring an issuer to file a current report on Form 8- K with the SEC; establishment of a program to make purchases of the issuer's own shares; a tender offer for another issuer's securities; an event of technical default or default on interest and/or principal payments; advance knowledge of an upcoming publication that is expected to affect the market price of the stock.

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Non-Public vs. Public Information. Any information that is not "public" is deemed to be "non- public." Just as an investor is permitted to trade on the basis of information that is not material, he or she may also trade on the basis of information that is public. Information is considered public if it has been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally. An example of non-public information would include material information provided to a select group of analysts but not made available to the investment community at large. Set forth below are a number of ways in which non-public information may be made public.

Disclosure to News Services and National Papers. The U.S. stock exchanges require exchange-traded issuers to disseminate material, non-public information about their company to: (1) the national business and financial newswire services (e.g. Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, etc.); (2) the national service (Associated Press); and (3) The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Local Disclosure. An announcement by an issuer in a local newspaper might be sufficient for an issuer that is only locally traded but might not be sufficient for an issuer that has a national market.

Information in SEC Reports. Information contained in reports filed with the SEC will be deemed to be public.

If Price Group is in possession of material, non-public information with respect to a security before such information is disseminated to the public (i.e., such as being disclosed in one of the public media described above), Price Group and its personnel must wait a sufficient period of time after the information is first publicly released before trading or initiating transactions to allow the information to be fully disseminated. Price Group may also follow Information Barrier procedures, as described on page 4-8 of this Statement.

Concept of Use/Possession. It is important to note that the SEC takes the position that the law regarding insider trading prohibits any person from trading in a security in violation of a duty of trust and confidence while in possession of material, non-public information regarding the security. This is in contrast to trading on the basis of the material, non-public information. To illustrate the problems created by the use of the "possession" standard, as opposed to the "caused" standard, the following three examples are provided:

First, if the investment committee to a Price mutual fund were to obtain material, non- public information about one of its portfolio companies from a Price equity research analyst, that fund would be prohibited from trading in the securities to which that information relates. The prohibition would last until the information is no longer material or non-public.

Second, if the investment committee to a Price mutual fund obtained material, non-public information about a particular portfolio security but continued to trade in that security, then the committee members, the applicable Price Adviser, and possibly management personnel might be liable for insider trading violations.

Third, even if the investment committee to the Fund does not come into possession of the material, non-public information known to the equity research analyst, if it trades in the security, it may have a difficult burden of proving to the SEC or to a court that it was not

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in possession of such information.

The SEC has expressed its view about the concept of trading "on the basis of" material, non-public information in Rule 10b5-1. Under Rule 10b5-1, and subject to the affirmative defenses contained in the rule, a purchase or sale of a security of an issuer is "on the basis" material non-public information about that security or issuer if the person making the purchase or sale was aware of the material, non-public information when the person made the purchase or sale.

A person's purchase or sale is not "on the basis of" material, non-public information if he or she demonstrates that:

(A)Before becoming aware of the information, the person had:

(1)Entered into a binding contract to purchase or sell the security;

(2)Instructed another person to purchase or sell the security for the instructing person's account, or

(3)Adopted a written plan for trading securities.

When a contract, instruction or plan is relied upon under this rule, it must meet detailed criteria set forth in Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) and (C).

Under Rule 10b5-1, a person other than a natural person (e.g., one of the Price Advisers) may also demonstrate that a purchase or sale of securities is not "on the basis of" material, non-public information if it demonstrates that:

The individual making the investment decision on behalf of the person to purchase or sell the securities was not aware of the information; and

The person had implemented reasonable policies and procedures, taking into consideration the nature of the person's business, to ensure that individuals making investment decisions would not violate the laws prohibiting trading on the basis of material, non-public information. These policies and procedures may include those that restrict any purchase, sale, and causing any purchase or sale of any security as to which the person has material, non-public information, or those that prevent such individuals from becoming aware of such information.

Tender Offers. Tender offers are subject to particularly strict regulation under the securities laws. Specifically, trading in securities that are the subject of an actual or impending tender offer by a person who is in possession of material, non-public information relating to the offer is illegal, regardless of whether there was a breach of fiduciary duty. Under no circumstances should you trade in securities while in possession of material, non-public information regarding a potential tender offer.

Selective Disclosure of Material, Non-Public Information by Public Companies. The SEC has adopted Regulation FD to prohibit certain issuers from selectively disclosing material, non-public information to certain persons who would be expected to trade on it. The rule applies only to publicly-traded domestic (U.S.) companies, not to foreign government or foreign private issuers.

Under this rule, whenever:

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An issuer, or person acting on its behalf,

Discloses material, non-public information,

To securities professionals, institutional investors, broker-dealers, and holders of the issuer's securities,

The issuer must make public disclosure of that same information,

Simultaneously (for intentional disclosures), or

Promptly within 24 hours after knowledge of the disclosure by a senior official (for non-intentional disclosures)

Regulation FD does not apply to all of the issuer's employees; rather only communication by an issuer's senior management (executive officers and directors), its investor relations professionals, and others who regularly communicate with market professionals and security holders are covered. Certain recipients of information are also excluded from the rule's coverage, including persons who are subject to a confidentiality agreement, credit rating agencies, and "temporary insiders," such as the issuer's lawyers, investment bankers, or accountants.

Expert Network Services. Expert networks may be used by approved investment staff to supplement the investment process. Expert networks provide investors with access to individuals having a particular expertise or specialization, such as industry consultants, vendors, doctors, attorneys, suppliers, or past executives of particular companies. Expert network services can be an important component of the investment research process, and Price Group has implemented various controls to govern these interactions. A strict approval process is in place for utilizing a new expert network service. Also, a reporting and oversight process exists in the Equity Division to ensure that the services are being used properly by only appropriate investment staff.

Information Regarding Price Group.

The illustrations of material information found on page 4-4 of this Statement are equally applicable to Price Group as a public company and should serve as examples of the types of matters that you should not discuss with persons outside the firm. Remember, even though you may have not intent to violate any federal securities law, an offhand comment to a friend might be used unbeknownst to you by such friend to effect purchases or sales of Price Group stock. If such transactions were discovered and your friend was prosecuted, your status as an informant or "tipper" would directly involve you in the case. If you have concerns or questions about whether certain information constitutes material, non-public information pertaining to Price Group you should contact the Legal Department.

Information Regarding T. Rowe Price Funds and Subadvised Funds.

Employees who possess material, non-public information pertaining to a Price Fund or subadvised fund are prohibited from trading in the shares of the fund. Associates may obtain or possess information about significant portfolio activity of a fund, such as an unscheduled disbursement or receipt that is not reflected in the fund's NAV, which could be regarded as material. For example, an associate may learn of a significant tax refund or litigation recovery that a fund is entitled to but has not been entered as a receivable because the amount and timing are unknown. Such information could constitute material, non-public information. Information regarding future events that would not be expected to have a known impact on the fund's NAV, such as a large

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subscription by an institutional shareholder or a change in the fund's portfolio manager, while considered highly sensitive information (not to be shared with others outside of T. Rowe Price), would not typically constitute material, non-public information for these purposes. If you have concerns or questions about whether certain information constitutes material, non-public information pertaining to a Price Fund or subadvised fund you should contact the Legal Department.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING INSIDER TRADING PROHIBITIONS OUTSIDE THE U.S.

The jurisdictions outside the U.S. that regulate some T. Rowe Price entities have laws in this area that are based on principles similar to those of the U.S. described in this Statement. If you comply with the Code, then you will comply with the requirements of these jurisdictions. If you have any concerns about local requirements, please contact the TRP International Compliance Team or the Legal Department.

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN RECEIVING MATERIAL, NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION

Whenever you believe that you have or may have come into possession of material, non-public information, you should immediately contact the appropriate Legal Department person or group and refrain from disclosing the information to anyone else, including persons within Price Group, unless specifically advised to the contrary. The individual may not disclose the information or trade in the security until a determination is made by Legal. U.S.-based personnel should contact the Legal Department and international personnel should contact the International Compliance Team.

Specifically, you may not:

Trade in securities to which the material, non-public information relates;

Disclose the information to others;

Recommend purchases or sales of the securities to which the information relates.

If it is determined that the information is material and non-public, the issuer will be placed on either:

A Restricted List ("Restricted List") in order to prohibit trading in the security by both clients and Access Persons; or

A Watch List ("Watch List"), which restricts the flow of the information to others within

Price Group in order to allow the Price Advisers investment personnel to continue their ordinary investment activities. This procedure is commonly referred to as an Information Barrier.

The Watch List is highly confidential and should, under no circumstances, be disseminated to anyone except authorized personnel in the Legal Department and Code Compliance who are responsible for placing issuers on and monitoring trades in securities of issuers included on the Watch List. As described below, if an individual on the TRP International Compliance Team believes that an issuer should be placed on the Watch List, he or she will contact Code Compliance.

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Code Compliance will coordinate review of trading in the securities of that issuer with the TRP International Compliance Team as appropriate.

The person whose possession of or access to inside information has caused the inclusion of an issuer on the Watch List may never trade or recommend the trade of the securities of that issuer without the specific prior approval of the Legal Department.

The Restricted List is also highly confidential and should, under no circumstances, be disseminated to anyone outside Price Group. Individuals with access to the Restricted List should not disclose its contents to anyone within Price Group who does not have a legitimate business need to know this information.

Code Compliance will remove the issuer from the Watch List or Restricted List when the information is no longer material or non-public.

Specific Procedures Relating to the Safeguarding of Inside Information.

To ensure the integrity of the Information Barrier, and the confidentiality of the Restricted List, it is important that you take the following steps to safeguard the confidentiality of material, non- public information:

Do not discuss confidential information in public places such as elevators, hallways or social gatherings;

To the extent practical, limit access to the areas of the firm where confidential information could be observed or overheard to employees with a business need for being in the area;

Avoid using speaker phones in areas where unauthorized persons may overhear conversations;

Where appropriate, maintain the confidentiality of client identities by using code names or numbers for confidential projects;

Exercise care to avoid placing documents containing confidential information in areas where they may be read by unauthorized persons and store such documents in secure locations when they are not in use; and

Destroy copies of confidential documents no longer needed for a project. However, Record Retention and Destruction guidelines should be reviewed before taking any action.

ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES

Education Program. While the probability of research analysts and portfolio managers being exposed to material, non-public information with respect to issuers considered for investment by clients is greater than that of other personnel, it is imperative that all personnel understand this Statement, particularly since the insider trading restrictions also apply to transactions in the stock of Price Group.

To ensure that all appropriate personnel are properly informed of and understand Price Group's policy with respect to insider trading, the following program has been adopted.

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Initial Review and Training for New Personnel. All new persons subject to the Code, which includes this Statement, will be given the Code at the time of their association and will be required to certify that they have read it. In addition, each new employee is required to take web-based training promptly after his or her start date.

Revision of Statement. All persons subject to the Code will be informed whenever this Statement is materially revised.

Annual Review. All persons subject to the Code receive training on the Code annually.

Acknowledgement of Compliance. All persons subject to the Code will be asked to acknowledge their understanding of an adherence to the Code, including this Statement, on at least an annual basis.

Questions. If you have any questions with respect to the interpretation or application of this Statement, you are encouraged to discuss them with your immediate supervisor, the Legal Department, or the TRP International Compliance Team as appropriate.

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

BACKGROUND INFORMATION.

Legal Requirement. In accordance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988, and the various UK and other jurisdictions' laws and regulations, Price Group and the mutual funds ("Price Funds") which its affiliates manage, have adopted this Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions ("Statement").

Price Advisers' Fiduciary Position. As investment advisers, the Price Advisers are in a fiduciary position which requires them to act with an eye only to the benefit of their clients, avoiding those situations which might place, or appear to place, the interests of the Price Advisers or their officers, directors and employees in conflict with the interests of clients.

Purpose of Statement of Policy. The Statement was developed to help guide Price Group's employees and independent directors and the independent directors of the Price Funds in the conduct of their personal investments and to:

Eliminate the possibility of a transaction occurring that the SEC or other regulatory bodies would view as inconsistent with our role as a fiduciary;

Avoid situations where it might appear that Price Group or the Price Funds or any of their officers, directors, employees, or other personnel had personally benefited at the expense of a client or fund shareholder or taken inappropriate advantage of their fiduciary positions; and

Prevent, as well as detect, the misuse of material, non-public information.

Price Group's and the Price Funds' reputations could be adversely affected as the result of even a single transaction considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duties of the Price Advisers and the independent directors of the Price Funds.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATEMENT. Questions regarding the policy can be directed to Code Compliance (Code_of_Ethics@TRowePrice.com).

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EXCESSIVE TRADING AND MARKET TIMING OF MUTUAL FUND SHARES. The issue of excessive trading and market timing by mutual fund shareholders is a serious one and is not unique to T. Rowe Price. Employees may not engage in trading of shares of a Price Fund that is inconsistent with the prospectus of that Fund.

Excessive or short-term trading in fund shares may disrupt management of a fund and raise its costs. The Board of Directors/Trustees of the Price Funds have adopted a policy to deter excessive and short-term trading (the "Policy"), which applies to persons trading directly with T. Rowe Price and indirectly through intermediaries. Under this Policy, T. Rowe Price may bar excessive and short-term traders from purchasing shares.

This Policy is set forth in each Fund's prospectus, which governs all trading activity in the Fund regardless of whether you are holding T. Rowe Price Fund shares as a retail investor or through your T. Rowe Price U.S. Retirement Program account.

Although the Fund may issue a warning letter regarding excessive trading or market timing, any trade activity in violation of the Policy will also be reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer, who will refer instances to the Ethics Committee as he or she feels appropriate. The Ethics Committee, based on its review, may take disciplinary action, including suspension of trading privileges, forfeiture of profits or the amount of losses avoided, and termination of employment, as it deems appropriate.

Employees are also expected to abide by trading restrictions imposed by other funds as described in their prospectuses. If you violate the trading restrictions of a non-Price Fund, the Ethics Committee may impose the same penalties available for violation of the Price Funds excessive trading Policy.

FRONT RUNNING. Front Running is inconsistent with our responsibility to serve the interests of clients. It is generally defined as the purchase or sale of a security by an officer, director or employee of an investment adviser or mutual fund in anticipation of and prior to the adviser effecting similar transactions for its clients in order to take advantage of or avoid changes in market prices affected by client transactions.

PERSONS SUBJECT TO STATEMENT. The provisions of this Statement apply as described below to the following persons and entities. Each person and entity (except the independent directors of Price Group) is classified as either an Access Person or a Non-Access Person as described below. The provisions of this Statement may also apply to an Access Person's or Non- Access Person's spouse, minor children, and certain other relatives, as further described on page 5-4 of this Statement. All Access Persons except the independent directors of the Price Funds are subject to all provisions of this Statement except certain restrictions on purchases in initial public offerings that apply only to Investment Personnel. The independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements and are subject to modified reporting as described on page 5-19. Non-Access Persons are subject to the general principles of the Statement and its reporting requirements but are only required to receive prior transaction clearance for transactions in Price Group stock. The persons and entities covered by this Statement are:

Price Group. Price Group, each of its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their retirement plans.

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Employee Partnerships. Partnerships such as Pratt Street Ventures.

Personnel. Each officer, inside director and employee of Price Group and its subsidiaries and its affiliates.

Certain Contingent Workers. These workers include:

All contingent workers whose assignments exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period and whose work is closely related to the ongoing work of Price Group's employees (versus project work that stands apart from ongoing work); and

Any contingent worker whose assignment is more than casual in nature or who will be exposed to the kinds of information and situations that would create conflicts on matters covered in the Code.

Exceptions must be approved by Code Compliance (Code_of_Ethics@TRowePrice.com)

Independent Directors of Price Group and the Price Funds. The independent directors of Price Group include those directors of Price Group who are neither officers nor employees of Price Group or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The independent directors of the Price Funds include those directors of the Price Funds who are not deemed to be "interested persons" of Price Group.

Although subject to the general principles of this Statement, including the definition of "beneficial ownership," independent directors are subject only to modified reporting requirements (pages 5-19 to 5-22). The trades of the independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements. The trades of the independent directors of Price Group are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements except for transactions in Price Group stock.

ACCESS PERSONS. Certain persons and entities are classified as "Access Persons" under the Code. The term "Access Persons" means:

The Price Advisers;

Any officer or director of any of the Price Advisers or the Price Funds (except the independent directors of the Price Funds);

Any person associated with any of the Price Advisers or the Price Funds who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, obtains or has access to non-public information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by a Price Fund or other advisory client, or to non-public information regarding any securities holdings of any client of a Price Adviser, including the Price Funds, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to the purchases or sales.

All Access Persons are notified of their status under the Code.

Investment Personnel. An Access Person is further identified as "Investment Personnel" if, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, he or she "makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities" by a Price Fund or other advisory client.

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The term "Investment Personnel" includes, but is not limited to:

Those employees who are authorized to make investment decisions or to recommend securities transactions on behalf of the firm's clients (investment counselors and members of the mutual fund advisory committees);

Research and credit analysts; and

Traders who assist in the investment process.

All Investment Personnel are deemed Access Persons under the Code.

NON-ACCESS PERSONS. Persons who do not fall within the definition of Access Persons are deemed "Non-Access Persons." If a Non-Access Person is married to an Access Person, then the non-Access Person is deemed to be an Access Person.

TRANSACTIONS SUBJECT TO STATEMENT. Except as provided below, the provisions of this Statement apply to transactions that fall under either one of the following two conditions:

First, you are a "beneficial owner" of the security under the Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act, defined as follows; or

Second, if you control or direct securities trading for another person or entity, those trades are subject to this Statement even if you are not a beneficial owner of the securities. For example, if you have an exercisable trading authorization (e.g., a power of attorney to direct transactions in another person's account) of an unrelated person's or entity's brokerage account, or are directing another person's or entity's trades, those transactions will usually be subject to this Statement to the same extent your personal trades would be as described below.

Definition of Beneficial Owner. A "beneficial owner" is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has or shares in the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the security. Being the beneficiary of an account, such as a 401(k) or securities account, does not necessarily mean a person is a "beneficial owner" unless one of the following conditions exists.

A person has beneficial ownership in:

Securities held by members of the person's immediate family (e.g. spouse, child, etc.) sharing the same household, although the presumption of beneficial ownership may be rebutted;

A person's interest in securities held by a trust, which may include both trustees with investment control and, in some instances, trust beneficiaries;

A person's right to acquire securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative security, whether or not presently exercisable;

A general partner's proportionate interest in the portfolio securities held by either a general or limited partnership;

Certain performance-related fees other than an asset-based fee, received by any broker, dealer, bank, insurance company, investment company, investment adviser, investment manager, trustee or person or entity performing a similar function; and

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A person's right to dividends that are separated or separable from the underlying securities. Otherwise, right to dividends alone shall not represent beneficial ownership in the securities.

A shareholder shall not be deemed to have beneficial ownership in the portfolio securities held by a corporation or similar entity in which the person owns securities if the shareholder is not a controlling shareholder of the entity and does not have or share investment control over the entity's portfolio. If you become the beneficial owner of another's securities (e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, then the associated securities accounts become subject to the account reporting requirements outlined on page 5-16.

Requests for Clarifications or Interpretations Regarding Beneficial Ownership or Control. If you have beneficial ownership of a security, any transaction involving that security is presumed to be subject to the relevant requirements of this Statement, unless you have no direct or indirect influence or control over the transaction. Such a situation may arise, for example, if you have delegated investment authority to an independent investment adviser or your spouse has an independent trading program in which you have no input. Similarly, if your spouse has investment control over, but not beneficial ownership in, an unrelated account, the Statement may not apply to those securities and you may wish to seek clarification or an interpretation.

If you are involved in an investment account for a family situation, trust, partnership, corporation, etc., which you feel should not be subject to the Statement's relevant prior transaction clearance and/or reporting requirements, you should submit a written request for clarification or interpretation to either Code Compliance (Code_of_Ethics@TRowePrice.com) or the TRP International Compliance Team. Any such request for clarification or interpretations should name the account, your interest in the account, the persons or firms responsible for its management, and the specific facts of the situation. Do not assume that the Statement is not applicable; you must receive a clarification or interpretation about the applicability of the Statement. Clarifications and interpretations are not self-executing; you must receive a response to a request for clarification or interpretation directly from the Code Compliance Team or the TRP International Compliance Team before proceeding with the transaction or other action covered by this Statement.

PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS GENERALLY. As described, certain transactions require prior clearance before execution. Receiving prior transaction clearance does not relieve you from conducting your personal securities transactions in full compliance with the Code, including its prohibition on trading while in possession of material, inside information, and the 60-Day Rule, and with applicable law, including the prohibition on Front Running.

TRANSACTIONS IN STOCK OF PRICE GROUP. Because Price Group is a public company, ownership of its stock subjects its officers, inside and independent directors, employees and all others subject to the Code to special legal requirements under the U.S. securities laws. You are responsible for your own compliance with these requirements. In connection with these legal requirements, Price Group has adopted the following rules and procedures:

Independent Directors of Price Funds. The independent directors of the Price Funds are prohibited from owning the stock or other securities of Price Group.

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Quarterly Earnings Report. Generally, all Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group must refrain from initiating transactions in Price Group stock in which they have a beneficial interest from the second trading day after quarter end (or such other date as management shall from time to time determine) through the day of filing the firm's earnings release with the SEC. You will be notified quarterly in regards to the controlling (blackout) dates.

Prior Transaction Clearance of Price Group Stock Transactions Generally. Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group are required to obtain clearance prior to effecting any proposed transaction (including gifts and transfers of beneficial ownership) involving shares of Price Group stock owned beneficially, including any Price Group stock owned in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"). Moving shares of Price Group stock (held outside of the ESPP) between securities firms or to/from street name accounts with the same registration does not have to receive prior clearance but must be reported.

Prior Transaction Clearance Procedures for Price Group Stock. Requests for prior transaction clearance must be submitted to the myTRPcompliance system.

Gifts. The giving of or receipt of Price Group stock (TROW) must be prior cleared. This includes donation transactions into donor-advised funds such as T. Rowe Price Charitable, as well as any other charitable gifting.

Prohibition Regarding Transactions in Price Group Options. Transactions in options (other than stock options granted to T. Rowe Price associates) on Price Group stock are not permitted.

Prohibition Regarding Short Sales of Price Group Stock. Short sales of Price Group stock are not permitted.

Hedging Transactions in Price Group Stock. Entering into any contract or purchasing any instrument designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of Price Group stock is not permitted.

Applicability of 60-Day Rule to Price Group Stock Transactions. Transactions in Price Group stock are subject to the 60-Day Rule except for transactions effected through the ESPP, the exercise of employee stock options granted by Price Group and the subsequent sale of the derivative shares, and shares obtained through an established dividend reinvestment program. Refer to page 5-25 for a full description of the 60-Day Rule.

Only Price Group stock that has been held for at least 60 days may be gifted. You must receive prior clearance before gifting shares of Price Group stock. Purchases of Price Group stock in the ESPP through payroll deduction are not considered in determining the applicability of the 60-Day Rule to market transactions in Price Group stock. To avoid issues with the 60-day rule, shares may not be transferred out of or otherwise removed from the ESPP if the shares have been held for less than 60 days.

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Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group must obtain prior transaction clearance of any transaction involving Price Group stock, (unless specifically exempted, such as transfers of form of ownership).

Initial Disclosure of Holdings of Price Group Stock. Each new employee must report any shares of Price Group stock of which he or she has beneficial ownership no later than ten business days after his or her starting date.

Dividend Reinvestment Plans for Price Group Stock. Purchases of Price Group stock owned outside of the ESPP and effected through a dividend reinvestment plan need not receive prior transaction clearance. Reporting of transactions effected through that plan need only be made quarterly through statements provided to the Code Compliance Team or by the financial institution (e.g. broker-dealer) where the account is maintained, except in the case of employees who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, who must report such transactions immediately.

Effectiveness of Prior Clearance. Prior transaction clearance of transactions in Price Group stock is effective for three U.S. business days from and including the date the clearance is granted, unless (i) advised to the contrary by the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group prior to the proposed transaction, or (ii) the person receiving the clearance comes into possession of material, non-public information concerning the firm. If the proposed transaction in Price Group stock is not executed within this time period, a new clearance must be obtained before the individual can execute the proposed transaction.

Reporting of Disposition of Proposed Transaction. If the transaction request was executed, the Payroll & Stock Transaction Team will receive an electronic or paper confirmation of the transaction and your records will be updated accordingly.

Insider Reporting and Liability. Under current SEC rules, certain officers, directors and 10% stockholders of a publicly traded company ("Insiders") are subject to the requirements of Section 16. Insiders include the directors and certain executive officers of Price Group. The Payroll and Stock Transaction Group informs all those who are Insiders of their obligations under Section 16.

SEC Reporting. There are three reporting forms which Insiders are required to file with the SEC to report their purchase, sale and transfer transactions in, and holdings of, Price Group stock. Although the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will provide assistance in complying with these requirements as an accommodation to Insiders, it remains the legal responsibility of each Insider to ensure that the applicable reports are filed in a timely manner.

Form 3. The initial ownership report by an Insider is required to be filed on Form 3. This report must be filed within ten days after a person becomes an Insider (i.e., is elected as a director or appointed as an executive officer) to report all current holdings of Price Group stock. Following the election or appointment of an Insider, the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will deliver to the Insider a Form 3 for appropriate signatures and will file the form electronically with the SEC.

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Form 4. Any change in the Insider's ownership of Price Group stock must be reported on a Form 4 unless eligible for deferred reporting on year-end Form 5. The Form 4 must be filed electronically before the end of the second business day following the day on which a transaction resulting in a change in beneficial ownership has been executed. Following receipt of the Notice of Disposition of the proposed transaction, the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will deliver to the Insider a Form 4, as applicable, for appropriate signatures and will file the form electronically with the SEC.

Form 5. Any transaction or holding that is exempt from reporting on Form 4, such as small purchases of stock, gifts, etc. may be reported electronically on a deferred basis on Form 5 within 45 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the transaction occurred. No Form 5 is necessary if all transactions and holdings were previously reported on Form 4.

Liability for Short-Swing Profits. Under the U.S. securities laws, profit realized by certain officers, as well as directors and 10% stockholders of a company (including Price Group) as a result of a purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) of stock of the company within a period of less than six months must be returned to the firm or its designated payee upon request.

PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS - ACCESS PERSONS.

Access Persons must obtain prior transaction clearance before directly or indirectly initiating, recommending, or in any way participating in, the purchase or sale of a security in which the Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction may acquire, any beneficial interest or which the Access Person controls. This includes the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security and the acquisition of any shares in an Automatic Investment Plan through a non-systematic investment. Following are exceptions to the prior transaction clearance requirement:

The independent directors of the Price Funds are generally not required to receive prior transaction clearance so long as they have no knowledge of trades being transacted for the Price Funds; and

Any Price Adviser is not required to receive prior transaction clearance when T. Rowe Price seed money is deployed to establish a client/product strategy.

Non-Access Persons are not required to obtain prior clearance before engaging in any securities transactions, except for transactions in Price Group stock.

Where required, prior transaction clearance must be obtained regardless of whether the transaction is affected through TRP Brokerage (generally available only to U.S. residents) or through an unaffiliated broker-dealer or other entity. Please note that the prior clearance procedures do not check compliance with the 60-Day Rule (page 5-25); you are responsible for ensuring your compliance with this rule.

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN IN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE EITHER PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE OR REPORTING UNLESS THEY OCCUR IN A "REPORTABLE FUND." The following transactions

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do not require either prior transaction clearance or reporting:

Mutual Funds and Variable Insurance Products. The purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end investment companies and variable insurance products, except that Access Persons must report transactions in Reportable Funds (page 5- 11).

Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferrable Securities (UCITS). The purchase or redemption of shares in an open-ended European investment fund established in accordance with the UCITS Directive provided that a Price Adviser does not serve as an adviser to the fund.

Automatic Investment Plans. Transactions through a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. However, the initial automatic investment does require prior clearance. An Access Person must report any securities owned as a result of transactions in an Automatic Investment Plan on his or her Annual Report. Any transaction that overrides the pre-set schedule or allocations of an automatic investment plan (a "non-systematic transaction") must be reported by both Access Persons and non-Access Persons and Access Persons must also receive prior transaction clearance for such a transaction if the transaction would otherwise require prior transaction clearance.

Donor-Advised Funds. Transactions within donor-advised funds, such as

T. Rowe Price Charitable, do not require prior clearance or reporting. However, a gift of Price Group stock into a donor-advised fund is required to be prior cleared and reported.

U.S Government Obligations. Purchases or sales of direct obligations of the U.S Government.

Certain Commodity Futures Contracts. Purchases or sales of commodity futures contracts for tangible goods (e.g., corn, soybeans, wheat) if the transaction is regulated solely by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"). Commodity futures contracts for financial instruments such as ETFs, however, must be reported.

Commercial Paper and Similar Instruments. Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high-quality, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements.

Certain Unit Investment Trusts. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, if none of the underlying funds is a Reportable Fund.

Currency. Direct foreign currency transactions (spot and forward trades) in the Japanese Yen or British Pound, for example. However, securitized or financial instruments used for currency exposure (e.g. ProShares Ultra Yen ETF), must be reported.

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Cryptocurrency. Transactions in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc., do not require prior clearance or reporting. However, transactions in any publicly- traded cryptocurrency tracker instrument would require prior clearance and reporting. Participation in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) is prohibited.

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BUT MUST BE REPORTED BY BOTH ACCESS PERSONS AND NON-ACCESS PERSONS. The following transactions do not require prior transaction clearance but must be reported:

Exchange-Traded Funds ("ETFs"). Transactions in ETFs, including ETFs authorized as UCITS, do not require prior clearance but must be reported. However, transactions in narrow, inverse (also known as short or inverse leveraged) ETFs are prohibited. Short sale transactions in narrow, long ETFs are also prohibited. Access Persons are responsible for their compliance to these two prohibitions. Contact the Code Compliance Team regarding any uncertainty in contemplated ETF transactions. Narrow ETFs include, but are not limited to, those focused on specific industries (e.g. energy, healthcare, financial services, etc.), commodities, currencies, and specific geographical markets (e.g. countries or regions).

Unit Investment Trusts. Purchases or sales of shares in unit investment trusts registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, unless the unit investment trust is an ETF, in which case the ETF protocols apply.

National Government Obligations (other than U.S.). Purchases or sales of direct obligations of national (non-U.S.) governments.

Variable Rate Demand Notes. This financial instrument is an unsecured debt obligation of a corporate entity. These instruments generally pay a floating interest rate slightly above the prevailing money market rates and include check-writing capabilities. It is not a money market fund nor is it equivalent to a bank deposit or bank account, therefore the instrument is not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Pro Rata Distributions. Purchases effected by the exercise of rights issued pro-rata to all holders of a class of securities or the sale of rights so received.

Tender Offers. Purchases and sales of securities pursuant to a mandatory (e.g., the holder has no choice or elections regarding the offer) tender offer. Merger elections, however, that presents holders of acquired securities, with exchange options that typically include cash or securities of the acquiring company and/or a combination thereof, must be prior cleared.

Exercise of Stock Option of Corporate Employer by Spouse. Transactions involving the exercise by an Access Person's spouse of a stock option issued by the corporation employing the spouse. However, a subsequent sale of the stock obtained by means of the

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exercise, including sales effected by a "cash-less" transactions, must receive prior transaction clearance.

Restricted Stock Plan Automatic Sales for Tax Purposes by Spouse. Transactions commonly called "net sales" whereby upon vesting of restricted shares, a portion of the shares are automatically sold in order to cover the tax obligation.

Inheritances. The acquisition of securities through inheritance.

Gifts. The giving of or receipt of a security as a gift. However, a gift of or receipt of Price Group stock must be prior cleared.

Stock Splits, Reverse Stock Splits, and Similar Acquisitions and Dispositions. The mandatory acquisition of additional shares or the disposition of existing corporate holdings through stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, exercise of rights, exchange or conversion. Reporting of such transactions must be made within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which they occurred. Reporting is deemed to have been made if the acquisition or disposition is reported on a confirmation, statement or similar document sent to Code Compliance.

Spousal Employee-Sponsored Payroll Deduction Plans. Purchases, but not sales, by an Access Person's spouse pursuant to an employee-sponsored payroll deduction plan (e.g., a 401(k) plan or employee stock purchase plan), provided the Code Compliance Section has been previously notified by the Access Person that the spouse will be participating in the payroll deduction plan. Reporting of such transactions must be made within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which they occurred. A sale or exchange of stock held in such a plan is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements for Access Persons.

Partial Shares Sold. Partial shares held in an account that are sold when the account is transferred to another broker-dealer or to new owner or partial shares sold automatically by the broker-dealer.

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BUT MUST BE REPORTED BY ACCESS PERSONS ONLY.

Reportable TRP-Advised Funds ("Reportable Funds") Not Held On A T. Rowe Price Platform. Access Persons must report the purchases and sales of shares of Reportable Funds. A Reportable Fund is any open-end investment company, including money market funds and UCITS, for which any of the Price Advisers serves as an investment adviser. This includes not only the Price Funds, SICAVs, OEICs, and any Price-advised investment products, but also any fund managed by any of the Price Advisers either through subadvised relationships, including any fund holdings offered through retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans) other than the T. Rowe Price U.S. Retirement Plan, or as an investment option offered as part of a variable annuity. Code Compliance maintains a listing of subadvised Reportable Funds on the TRP Exchange.

Access Persons must inform the Code Compliance Team about ownership of shares of Price Funds. Once this notification has been given, if the Price Fund is held on a T. Rowe

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Price platform, in a TRP Brokerage Account, or in the T. Rowe Price U.S. Retirement Plan, the Access Person need not report these transactions directly. In instances where Price Funds are held through an intermediary, transactions in shares of those Price Funds must be reported as described on page 5-18.

Interests in Section 529 College Savings Plans not held on the T. Rowe Price Platform. Access Persons must report the purchase and sale of interests in any Section 529 College Savings Plan for which any Price Adviser serves as an adviser or subadviser to the plan. Access Persons must inform the Code Compliance Team about ownership of interests in the Maryland College Investment Plan, the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan and the University of Alaska College Savings Plan. For these specific plans only, once this notification has been given, an Access Person need not report transactions directly (page 5-18). In instances where ownership interests in 529 College Savings Plans that are advised or subadvised by a Price Adviser are held through an intermediary, transactions must be reported as described on page 5-18.

The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee reviews at a minimum the transaction reports for all securities required to be reported under the Advisers Act or the Investment Company Act for all employees, officers, and inside directors of Price Group and its affiliates and for the independent directors of the Price Funds.

TRANSACTIONS THAT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BY ACCESS PERSONS. If the transaction or security is not subject to prior transaction clearance, as outlined in this policy, you should assume that it is subject to the prior clearance requirement unless specifically informed otherwise by the Code Compliance Team or the TRP International Compliance Team.

Among the transactions for which Access Persons must receive prior transaction clearance are:

Non-systematic transactions in a security that is not exempt from prior transaction clearance;

Close-end fund transactions, including U.K, Canadian, and other non-U.S. investment trusts.

OTHER TRANSACTION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. Any transaction that is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements on behalf of an Access Person (except the independent directors of the Price Funds), including purchases in initial public offerings and private placement transactions, must be reported. Although Non-Access Persons are not required to receive prior transaction clearance for securities transactions (other than Price Group stock), they must report any transaction that would require prior transaction clearance by an Access Person. The independent directors of Price Group and the Price Funds are subject to modified reporting requirements.

PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) FOR ACCESS PERSONS. Unless prior transaction clearance is not required as described in this policy or determined by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, Access Persons must receive prior transaction clearance for all securities transactions.

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Access Persons should follow the procedures before engaging in the transactions described. If an Access Person is not certain whether a proposed transaction is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements, he or she should contact the Code Compliance Team before proceeding.

Procedures for Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance for Initial Public Offerings ("IPOs"):

Non-Investment Personnel. Access Persons who are not Investment Personnel ("Non- Investment Personnel") may purchase securities that are the subject of an IPO only after receiving prior transaction clearance in writing from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or their designee. An IPO would include, for example, an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 when the issuer of the securities, immediately before the registration, was not subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. This requirement applies to all IPOs regardless of market.

In considering such a request for prior transaction clearance, the Chairperson or their designee will determine whether the proposed transaction presents a conflict of interest with any of the firm's clients or otherwise violates the Code. The Chairperson or his or her designee will also consider whether:

1.The purchase is made through the Non-Investment Personnel's regular broker;

2.The number of shares to be purchased is commensurate with the normal size and activity of the Non-Investment Personnel's account; and

3.The transaction otherwise meets the requirements of the FINRA restrictions, as applicable, regarding the sale of a new issue to an account in which a

"restricted person," as defined in FINRA Rule 5130, has a beneficial interest.

Non-Investment Personnel will not be permitted to purchase shares in an IPO if any of the firm's clients are prohibited from doing so because of affiliated transaction restrictions. This prohibition will remain in effect until the firm's clients have had the opportunity to purchase in the secondary market once the underwriting is completed – commonly referred to as the aftermarket. The 60-Day Rule applies to transactions in securities purchased in an IPO.

Investment Personnel. Investment Personnel may not purchase securities in an IPO.

Non-Access Persons. Although Non-Access Persons are not required to receive prior transaction clearance before purchasing shares in an IPO, any Non-Access Person who is a registered representative or associated person of Investment Services is reminded that FINRA Rule 5130 may restrict his or her ability to buy shares in a new issue in any market.

Procedures for Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance for Private Placements:

Access Persons may not invest in a private placement of securities, including the purchase of limited partnership interests, unless prior transaction clearance in writing has been obtained from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or their designee. This prior clearance provision includes situations involving investment transactions made in small businesses typically sourced through family or friends as well as any other referral source.

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A private placement is generally defined as an offering that is exempt from registration by a regulatory authority and sold through a private offering. Private placement investments generally require the investor to complete a written questionnaire or subscription agreement and be regarded as a professional or accredited investor.

Crowdfunding. Investments made through crowdfunding sites that serve to match entrepreneurs with investors, through which investors receive an equity stake in the business, are generally considered to be private placements and would require prior clearance. In contrast, providing funding through crowdfunding sites that serve to fund projects or philanthropic ventures are not considered private placements and therefore would not require prior clearance.

If an Access Person has any questions about whether a transaction is, in fact, a private placement, he or she should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or their designee.

In considering a request for prior transaction clearance for a private placement, the Chairperson will determine whether the investment opportunity (private placement) should be reserved for the firm's clients, and whether the opportunity is being offered to the Access Person by virtue of his or her position with the firm. The Chairperson will also secure, if appropriate, the approval of the proposed transaction from the chairperson of the applicable investment steering committee.

Continuing Obligation. An Access Person who has received prior transaction clearance to invest and does invest in a private placement of securities and who, at a later date, anticipates participating in the firm's investment decision process regarding the purchase or sale of securities of the issuer of that private placement on behalf of any client, must immediately disclose his or her prior investment in the private placement to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee and to the chairperson of the appropriate investment steering committee.

Registered representatives of Investment Services are reminded that FINRA rules may restrict investment in a private placement in certain circumstances.

Procedures for Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance for All Other Securities Transactions:

Requests for prior transaction clearance by Access Persons for all other securities transactions requiring prior transaction clearance should generally be made via myTRPcompliance on the firm's intranet. The myTRPcompliance system automatically sends any request for prior transaction approval that requires manual intervention to the Code Compliance Team. If you cannot access myTRPcompliance, requests may be made by email to the Legal Compliance Employee Trading mailbox. All requests must include the name of the security, a definitive security identifier (e.g., CUSIP, ticker, or Sedol), the number of shares or amount of bond involved, and the nature of the transaction, i.e., whether the transaction is a purchase, sale, short sale, or buy to cover. Responses to all requests will be made by myTRPcompliance or the Code Compliance Team, documenting the request and whether or not prior transaction clearance has been granted. The

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myTRPcompliance system maintains the record of all approval and denials, whether automatic or manual.

Effectiveness of Prior Transaction Clearance. Prior transaction clearance of a securities transaction is effective for three U.S. business days from and including the date the clearance is granted, regardless of the time of day when clearance is granted. If the proposed securities transaction is not executed within this time, a new clearance must be obtained. For example, if prior transaction clearance is granted at 2:00 pm Monday, the trade must be executed by Wednesday. In situations where it appears that the trade will not be executed within three business days even if the order is entered in that time period (e.g., certain transactions through transfer agents or spousal employee-sponsored payroll deduction plans), please notify the Code Compliance Team after prior clearance has been granted, but before entering the order with the executing agent.

Reminder. If you are an Access Person and become the beneficial owner of another's securities (e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, then transactions in those securities also become subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements. You must also report acquisition of beneficial ownership or control of these securities within ten business days of your knowledge of their existence.

REASONS FOR DISALLOWING ANY REQUESTED TRANSACTION. Prior transaction clearance will usually not be granted if:

Pending Client Orders. Orders have been placed by any of the Price Advisers to purchase or sell the security unless certain size or volume parameters as described (on page 5-23) under "Large Issuer/Volume Transactions" are met.

Purchases and Sales within Seven Calendar Days. The security has been purchased or sold by any client of a Price Adviser within seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction, unless certain size or volume parameters as described (on page 5-23) under "Large Issuer/Volume Transactions" are met.

For example, if a client transaction occurs on Monday, prior transaction clearance is not generally granted to An Access Person to purchase or sell that security until Tuesday of the following week. Transactions in securities in pure, as opposed to enhanced, index funds are not considered for this purpose. If all clients have eliminated their holdings in a particular security, the seven-calendar day restriction is not applicable to an Access Person's transactions in that security.

Company Rating Changes. A change in the rating of a company has occurred within seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction. Accordingly, trading would not be permitted until the eighth calendar day.

Securities Subject to Internal Trading Restrictions. The security is limited or restricted by any of the Price Advisers as to purchase or sale by Access Persons.

Requests for Reconsideration of Prior Transaction Clearance Denials. If an Access Person has not been granted a requested prior transaction clearance, he or she may apply to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or their designee for reconsideration. Such a request must

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be in writing and must fully describe the basis upon which the reconsideration is being requested. As part of the reconsideration process, the Chairperson or their designee will determine if any client of any of the Price Advisers may be disadvantaged by the proposed transaction by the Access Person. The factors the Chairperson or their designee may consider in making this determination include:

The size of the proposed transaction;

The nature of the proposed transaction (i.e., buy or sell) and of any recent, current or pending client transactions;

The trading volume of the security that is the subject of the proposed Access Person transaction;

The existence of any current or pending order in the security for any client of a Price Adviser;

The reason the Access Person wants to trade (e.g., to provide funds for the purchase of a home); and

The number of times the Access Person has requested prior transaction clearance for the proposed trade and the amount of time elapsed between each prior transaction clearance request.

TRANSACTION CONFIRMATIONS AND PERIODIC ACCOUNT STATEMENTS. All Access Persons (except the independent directors of the Price Funds) and Non-Access Persons must request broker-dealers, investment advisers, banks, or other financial institutions executing their transactions to send a duplicate confirmation or contract note with respect to each and every reportable transaction, including Price Group stock, and a copy of all periodic statements for all securities accounts in which the Access Person or Non-Access Person is considered to have beneficial ownership and/or control (see discussion of beneficial ownership and control concepts on page 5-4) to Code Compliance, Legal Department, T. Rowe Price, P.O. Box 17218, Baltimore, Maryland 21297-1218. T. Rowe Price has established relationships and electronic data feeds with many broker-dealers for purposes of obtaining duplicate confirmations and contract notes as well as periodic statements. Certain broker-dealers require employee consent before sending such confirmations, contract notes, and statements to T. Rowe Price. In those cases, Code Compliance will contact the employee and obtain the required authorization.

The independent directors of Price Group and the Price Funds are subject to modified reporting requirements described at pages 5-19 to 5-22.

If transaction or statement information is provided in a language other than English, the employee should provide an English translation.

NOTIFICATION OF SECURITIES ACCOUNTS. All persons and all entities subject to this Statement must report their securities accounts upon joining the firm as well as obtain prior approval for all new accounts opened while employed by T. Rowe Price. New T. Rowe Price brokerage accounts do not require prior approval but must be reported. Prior approval is obtained through myTRPcompliance and an instruction for obtaining such approval is located on the myTRPcompliance home page.

The independent directors of Price Group and the Price Funds are not subject to this requirement.

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New Personnel Subject to the Code. A person subject to the Code must give written notice of any existing securities accounts maintained with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, bank or other financial institution within ten business days of association with the firm.

Associates do not have to report accounts at transfer agents or similar entities if the only securities in those accounts are variable insurance products or open-end mutual funds if these are the only types of securities that can be held or traded in the accounts. If other securities can be held or traded, the accounts must be reported. For example, if you have an account at a transfer agent that can only hold shares of a mutual fund; that account does not have to be reported. If, however, you have a brokerage account it must be reported even if the only securities currently held or traded in it are mutual funds.

Officers, Directors and Registered Representatives of TRP Investment Services. FINRA requires each associated person of T. Rowe Price Investment Services to:

Obtain prior approval for a new securities account; and

If the securities account is with a broker-dealer, provide the broker-dealer with written notice of his or her association with TRP Investment Services.

Annual Statement by Access Persons. Every January each Access Person, except an Access Person who is an independent director of the Price Funds, must file with the firm a list of their accounts as of year-end.

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING TRANSACTIONS. The following requirements apply both to Access Persons and Non-Access Persons except the independent directors of Price Group and the Price Funds, who are subject to modified reporting requirements:

Report Form. If the executing firm provides a confirmation, contract note or similar document directly to the firm, you do not need to make a further report. The date this document is received by the Code Compliance Team will be deemed the date the report is submitted for purposes of SEC compliance. The Code Compliance Team must receive the confirmation or similar document no later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction occurred. You must report all other transactions using the "Securities Transaction Report" form which is available in the myTRPcompliance system.

What Information Is Required. Each transaction report must contain, at a minimum, the following information about each transaction involving a reportable security in which you had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

The date of the transaction

The title of the security

The ticker symbol or CUSIP number, as applicable

The interest rate and maturity date, as applicable

The number of shares, as applicable

The principal amount of each reportable security involved, as applicable

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

The price of the security at which the transaction was affected

The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was affected; and

The date you submit the report

When Reports are Due. You must report a securities transaction within ten business days after the trade date or within ten business days after the date on which you first gain knowledge of the transaction (for example, a bequest) if this is later. A transaction in a Reportable Fund, a spousal payroll deduction plan or a stock split or similar acquisition or disposition must be reported within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which it occurred.

Access Person Reporting of Reportable Funds and T. Rowe Price-Advised Section 529 College Savings Plan Interests HELD on the T. Rowe Price Platform or HELD by the TRP UK Retirement Plan. You are required to inform Code Compliance about Reportable Funds and/or T. Rowe Price-advised Section 529 College Savings Plan interests (i.e., the Maryland College Investment Plan, the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan and the University of Alaska College Savings Plan) held on the T. Rowe Price Platform or held by the TRP UK Retirement Plan. Once you have done this, you do not have to report any transactions in those securities. Your transactions and holdings will be updated and reported automatically to Code Compliance on a periodic basis. You should report your new account via myTRPcompliance (located on the Exchange) when you first establish an account in a Reportable Fund or invest in a T. Rowe Price-advised Section 529 College Savings Plan held on a T. Rowe Price Platform or held by the TRP UK Retirement Plan.

Access Person Reporting of Reportable Funds and T. Rowe Price-Advised Section 529 College Savings Plan Interests NOT HELD on the T. Rowe Price Platform. You must notify Code Compliance of any Reportable Fund or T. Rowe Price-advised Section 529 College Savings Plan interests that you beneficially own or control that are held at any intermediary. This would include, for example, a Price Fund held in your spouse's retirement plan, even if T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services acts as the administrator or record-keeper of that plan. Any transaction in a Reportable Fund or in interests in a T. Rowe Price-advised Section 529 College Savings Plan must be reported by duplicate transaction confirmations and statements sent directly by the intermediary to the Code Compliance Team or by the Access Person directly using the "Securities Transactions" form (located in myTRPcompliance) within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred.

Reporting Certain Private Placement Transactions. If your investment requires periodic capital calls (e.g., in a limited partnership) you must report each capital call. This is required even if you are an Access Person and you received prior transaction clearance for a total cumulative investment. In addition, you must report any distributions you receive in the form of securities.

Reminder. If you become the beneficial owner of another's securities (e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, the transactions in these securities become subject to the transaction reporting requirements.

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REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF THE PRICE FUNDS.

Transactions in Publicly Traded Securities. An independent director of the Price Funds must report transactions in publicly-traded securities where the independent director controls or directs such transactions. These reporting requirements apply to transactions the independent director effects for his or her own beneficial ownership as well as the beneficial ownership of others, such as a spouse or other family member. An independent director does not have to report securities transactions in accounts over which the independent director has no direct or indirect influence such as an account over which the independent director has granted full investment discretion to a financial adviser. The independent director should contact the Legal Department to request approval to exempt any such accounts from this reporting requirement.

Transactions in Non-Publicly Traded Securities. An independent director does not have to report transactions in securities which are not traded on an exchange (i.e., non-publicly traded securities), unless the independent director knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a Price Funds independent director, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately before or after the independent director's transaction in such non-publicly traded security, a Price Adviser purchased, sold or considered purchasing or selling such security for a Price Fund or Price advisory client.

Methods of Reporting. An independent director has the option to satisfy his or her obligation to report transactions in securities via a Quarterly Report or by arranging for the executing brokers of such transactions to provide duplicate transaction confirmations directly to the Code Compliance Team.

Quarterly Reports. If a Price Fund independent director elects to report his or her transactions quarterly: (1) a report for each securities transaction must be filed with the Code Compliance Team no later than thirty days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction was effected; and

(2)a report must be filed for each quarter, regardless of whether there have been any reportable transactions. The Code Compliance Team will send to each independent director of the Price Funds who chooses to report transactions on a quarterly basis a reminder letter and reporting form approximately ten days before the end of each calendar quarter.

Duplicate Confirmation Reporting. An independent director of the Price Funds may also instruct his or her broker to send duplicate transaction confirmations directly to the Code Compliance Team. An independent director who chooses to have his or her broker send duplicate account information to the Code Compliance Team in lieu of directly reporting broker-executed transactions must nevertheless provide Quarterly Reports for any securities transactions for which a broker confirmation is not generated.

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Among the types of transactions that are commonly not reported through a broker confirmation and may therefore have to be reported directly to T. Rowe Price are:

Exercise of Stock Options of a Corporate Employer;

Inheritance of a Security;

Gift of a Security; and

Transactions in Certain Commodities Futures Contracts (e.g., financial indices).

An independent director of the Price Funds must include any transactions listed above, as applicable, in his or her Quarterly Reports if not otherwise contained in a duplicate broker confirmation. The Code Compliance Team will send to each independent director of the Price Funds who chooses to report transactions through broker confirmations a reminder letter approximately ten days before the end of each calendar quarter so that transactions not reported by broker confirmations can be reported.

Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from the Price Funds. An independent director of the Price Funds shall report to the Code Compliance Team any officership, directorship, general partnership, or other managerial position which he or she holds with any public, private, or governmental issuer other than the Price Funds.

Reporting of Significant Ownership.

Issuers (Other than Non-Public Investment partnerships, Pools or Funds). If an independent director of the Price Funds owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund), he or she must immediately report this ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Team, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuer's shares beneficially owned.

Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds. If an independent director of the Price Funds owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the independent director exercises control or influence, the independent director must report such ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Team. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the independent director does not exercise control or influence, the independent director need not report such ownership to the Code Compliance Section unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity.

Investments in Price Group. An independent director of the Price Funds is prohibited from owning the common stock or other securities of Price Group.

Investments in Non-Listed Securities Firms. An independent director of the Price Funds may not purchase or sell the shares of a broker-dealer, underwriter or federally registered

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investment adviser unless that entity is traded on an exchange or the purchase or sale has otherwise been approved by the Price Fund Boards.

Dealing with Clients. Aside from market transactions effected through securities exchanges, an independent director of the Price Funds may not knowingly transact with a Price Fund. This prohibition does not preclude the purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end mutual fund that is a client of any Price Advisers.

Prior Transaction Clearance Requirements. The independent directors of the Price Funds are generally not required to receive prior transaction clearance so long as they have no knowledge of trades being transacted for the Price Funds.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF PRICE GROUP OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES.

Reporting of Personal Securities Transactions. An independent director is not required to report his or her personal securities transactions (other than transactions in Price Group stock) as long as the independent director does not obtain information about the Price Advisers' investment research, recommendations, or transactions. However, each independent director is reminded that changes to certain information reported by the respective independent director in the Annual Questionnaire for Independent Directors are required to be reported to Corporate Records (e.g., changes in holdings of stock of financial institutions or financial institution holding companies).

Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from Price Group. An independent director shall report to the Code Compliance Team any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which he or she holds with any public, private, or governmental issuer other than Price Group or any of its subsidiaries.

Reporting of Significant Ownership.

Issuers (Other than Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds). If an independent director owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund), he or she must report this ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Team, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuer's shares beneficially owned.

Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds. If an independent director owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the independent director exercises control or influence, the independent director must report such ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Team. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the independent director does not exercise control or influence, the independent director need not report such ownership to the Code Compliance Team unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity.

Investments in Non-Listed Securities Firms. An independent director should be mindful of potential conflicts of interest associated with transactions and/or ownership of a broker-dealer,

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underwriter or federally registered investment adviser that is not publicly traded. Directors should consult with the T. Rowe Price Chief Legal Counsel regarding such matters.

MISCELLANEOUSRULESREGARDINGPERSONAL SECURITIESTRANSACTIONS. These rules vary in their applicability depending upon whether you are an Access Person.

The following rules apply to all Access Persons, except the independent directors of the Price Funds, and to all Non-Access Persons:

Dealing with Clients. Access Persons and Non-Access Persons may not, directly or indirectly, sell to or purchase from a client any security. Market transactions are not subject to this restriction. This prohibition does not preclude the purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end mutual fund that is a client of any of the Price Advisers and does not apply to transactions in a spousal employer-sponsored payroll deduction plan or spousal employer-sponsored stock option plan.

Investment Clubs. These restrictions vary depending upon the person's status, as follows:

Non-Access Persons. A Non-Access Person may form or participate in a stock or investment club without prior clearance from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee (U.S.-based personnel) or the TRP International Compliance Team (international personnel). Only transactions in Price Group stock are subject to prior transaction clearance. Club transactions must be reported just as the Non- Access Person's individual trades are reported.

Access Persons. An Access Person may not form or participate in a stock or investment club unless prior written clearance has been obtained from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee (U.S.-based personnel) or the TRP International Compliance Team (international personnel). Generally, transactions by such a stock or investment club in which an Access Person has beneficial ownership or control are subject to the same prior transaction clearance and reporting requirements applicable to an individual Access Person's trades. If, however, the Access Person has beneficial ownership solely by virtue of his or her spouse's participation in the club and has no investment control or input into decisions regarding the club's securities transactions, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or the TRP International Compliance Team may, as appropriate as part of the prior clearance process, require the prior transaction clearance of Price Group stock transactions only.

Margin Accounts. While margin accounts are discouraged, you may open and maintain margin accounts for the purchase of securities provided such accounts are with firms with which you maintain a regular securities account relationship.

Limit Orders. While limit orders are permitted, Access Persons must be careful using "good until cancelled" orders keeping in mind that prior clearance is valid for three business days. Use of "day" limit orders are encouraged.

Trading Activity. You are discouraged from engaging in a pattern of securities transactions that either:

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Is so excessively frequent as to potentially impact your ability to carry out your assigned responsibilities, or

Involves securities positions that are disproportionate to your net assets.

At the discretion of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, written notification of excessive trading may be sent to you and/or the appropriate supervisor if ten or more reportable trades occur in your account or accounts in a month.

The following rules apply only to Access Persons other than the independent directors of the Price Funds:

Large Issuer/Volume Transactions. Although subject to prior transaction clearance, transactions involving securities of certain large issuers or of issuers with high trading volumes, within the parameters set by the Ethics Committee (the "Large Issuer/Volume List"), will be permitted under normal circumstances, as follows:

Transactions involving no more than U.S $50,000 (all amounts are in U.S. dollars) or the nearest round lot (even if the amount of the transaction marginally exceeds $50,000) per security per seven (7) calendar-day period in securities of:

Issuers with market capitalizations of $7.5 billion or more, or

U.S. issuers with an average daily trading volume in excess of 750,000 shares over the preceding 90 trading days in the U.S.

are usually permitted, unless the rating on the security has been changed within the seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction. These parameters are subject to change by the Ethics Committee. An Access Person should be aware that if prior transaction clearance is granted for a specific number of shares lower than the number requested, the individual may not be able to receive permission to buy or sell additional shares of the issuer for the next seven calendar days.

Small Cap Issuer Transactions. Although subject to prior transaction clearance, transactions involving securities of certain small cap issuers may not be approved if there was a ratings change or ratings initiation in the previous 14 calendar days. Small cap issuers are defined as issuers with a market capitalization of $2.0 billion or less.

Transactions Involving Options on Large Issuer/Volume List Securities. Access Persons may not purchase uncovered put options or sell uncovered call options unless otherwise permitted under the "Options and Futures" discussion that follows. Otherwise, in the case of options on an individual security on the Large Issuer/Volume List (if it has not had a rating change), an Access Person may trade the greater of five contracts or sufficient option contracts to control $50,000 in the underlying security; thus an Access Person may trade five contracts even if this permits the Access Person to control more than $50,000 in the underlying security. Similarly, the Access Person may trade more than five contracts as long as the number of contracts does not permit him or her to control more than $50,000 in the underlying security.

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Client Limit Orders. Although subject to prior transaction clearance, an Access Person's proposed trade in a security is usually permitted even if a limit order has been entered for a client for the same security, if:

The Access Person's trade will be entered as a market order; and

The client's limit order is 10% or more away from the market price at the time the Access Person requests prior transaction clearance.

General Information on Options and Futures. If a transaction in the underlying instrument does not require prior transaction clearance (e.g., National Government Obligations, Unit Investment Trusts), then an options or futures transaction on the underlying instrument does not require prior transaction clearance. However, all options and futures transactions, except the commodity futures transactions described on page 5-9, must be reported even if a transaction in the underlying instrument would not have to be reported (e.g., U.S. Government Obligations). Transactions in publicly traded options on Price Group stock are not permitted. Please note that Contracts for Difference are treated under this Statement in the same manner as call options, and, as a result, are subject to the 60-Day Rule.

Before engaging in options and futures transactions, Access Persons should understand the impact that the 60-Day Rule and intervening client transactions may have upon their ability to close out a position with a profit (see "Closing or Exercising Options Positions").

Options and Futures on Securities and Indices Not Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. There are no specific restrictions with respect to the purchase, sale or writing of put or call options or any other option or futures activity, such as multiple writings, spreads and straddles, on a security (and options or futures on such security) or index that is not held by any of the Price Advisers' clients.

Options on Securities Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. With respect to options on securities of companies which are held by any of Price Advisers' clients, it is the firm's policy that an Access Person should not profit from a price decline of a security owned by a client (other than a "pure" Index account). Therefore, an Access Person may: (i) purchase call options and sell covered call options and (ii) purchase covered put options and sell put options. An Access Person may not purchase uncovered put options or sell uncovered call options, even if the issuer of the underlying securities is included on the Large Issuer/Volume List, unless purchased in connection with other options on the same security as part of a straddle, combination or spread strategy which is designed to result in a profit to the Access Person if the underlying security rises in or does not change in value. The purchase, sale and exercise of options are subject to the same restrictions as those set forth with respect to securities, i.e., the option should be treated as if it were the common stock itself.

Other Options and Futures Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. Any other option or futures transaction with respect to domestic or foreign securities held by any of the Price Advisers' clients will receive prior transaction clearance if appropriate after due consideration is given, based on the particular facts presented, as to whether the proposed transaction or series of transactions might appear to or actually create a conflict with the interests of any of the Price Advisers' clients. Such transactions include transactions in

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futures and options on futures involving financial instruments regulated solely by the U. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Closing or Exercising Option Positions. If you are the holder of an option and you intend to close (sell) the option or exercise the option, prior transaction clearance is required. However if you have written (sold) an option and the option is exercised against you, without any action on your part, no prior transaction clearance is required. A client transaction in the underlying security or any restriction associated with the underlying security may prevent any option transaction from being closed or exercised, therefore Access Persons should be cautious when transacting in options.

Short Sales. Short sales by Access Persons are subject to prior clearance unless the security itself does not otherwise require prior clearance. Short sale transactions in narrow, long ETFs are prohibited. In addition, Access Persons may not sell any security short which is owned by any client of one of the Price Advisers unless a transaction in that security would not require prior clearance. Short sales of Price Group stock are not permitted. All short sales are subject to the 60-Day Rule.

The 60-Day Rule. Access Persons are prohibited from profiting from the purchase and sale or sale and purchase (e.g., short sales and certain option transactions) of the same (or equivalent) securities within 60 calendar days. An "equivalent" security means any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege at a price related to the subject security, or similar securities with a value derived from the value of the subject security. Thus, for example, the rule prohibits options transactions on or short sales of a security that may result in a gain within 60 days of the purchase of the underlying security. Any series of transactions made which violate (or are counter to) the spirit of the 60-Day Rule, such as the establishment of a long position and subsequent establishment of a short position (or vice versa), in the same (or equivalent) security, may be deemed a violation by the Ethics Committee. This prohibition is not intended to include legitimate hedging transactions. If you have questions about whether a contemplated transaction would violate the 60-Day Rule or the spirit of the Rule, you should seek an interpretation from Code Compliance prior to initiating the transaction. Violations of the 60-Day Rule will be subject to a disgorgement of profit and any other applicable sanctions. The disgorgement of profit does not take into consideration any tax lot accounting associated with the security. It is simply the calculated gain as a result of the buy and sale (or sale and purchase) within the 60-day period.

In addition, the rule applies regardless of the Access Person's other holdings of the same security or whether the Access person has split his or her holdings into tax lots. For example, if an Access Person buys 100 shares of XYZ stock on March 1 and another 100 shares of XYZ stock on November 27, he or she may not sell any shares of XYZ stock at a profit for 60 days following November 27. Similarly, an Access Person must own the underlying security for more than 60 days before entering into any options transaction on that security.

The 60-Day Rule "clock" restarts each time the Access person trades in that security.

The closing of a position in an option or Contract for Difference on any security other than an index will result in a 60-Day Rule violation if the position was opened within the 60-

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day window and the closing transaction results in a gain. Multiple positions will not be netted to determine an overall gain or loss in options on the same underlying security expiring on the same day unless the offsetting option positions were clearly part of an options strategy. Contact the Legal Compliance Employee Trading mailbox regarding the applicability of the contemplated strategy with the 60-Day Rule.

The 60-Day Rule does not apply to:

Any transaction by a Non-Access Person other than transactions in Price Group stock not excluded below;

Any transaction which because of its nature or the nature of the security involved does not require prior transaction clearance (e.g., if an Access Person inherits a security, a transaction that did not require prior transaction clearance, then he or she may sell the security inherited at a profit within 60 calendar days of its acquisition; other examples include the purchase or sale of a unit investment trust, the exercise of a corporate stock option by an

Access Person's spouse, or pro-rata distributions;

Any transaction in Price Group stock effected through the ESPP (note that the 60-Day rule does apply to shares transferred out of the ESPP to a securities account; generally, however, an employee remaining in the ESPP may not transfer shares held less than 60 days out of the ESPP);

The exercise of "company-granted" Price Group stock options or receipt of

Price Group shares through Company-based awards and the subsequent sale of the derivative shares; and

Any purchase of Price Group stock through an established dividend reinvestment plan.

Prior transaction clearance procedures do not check compliance with the 60-Day Rule when considering a trading request. Access Persons are responsible for checking their compliance with this rule before entering a trade. If you have any questions about whether this rule will be triggered by a proposed transaction, you should contact Code Compliance or International Compliance before requesting prior transaction clearance for the proposed trade. Access Persons may request in writing an interpretation from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee that the 60-Day Rule should not apply to a specific transaction or transactions.

Expanded Holding Period Requirement for Employees in Japan. Securities owned by staff employed by TRPJ may be subject to a longer holding period than 60 days. If you have any questions about this restriction, you should contact International Compliance.

Investments in Non-Listed Securities Firms. Access Persons may not purchase or sell the shares of a broker-dealer, underwriter or federally registered investment adviser unless that entity is traded on an exchange or listed as a NASDAQ stock or prior transaction clearance is given under the private placement procedures.

REPORTING OF ONE – HALF OF ONE PERCENT OWNERSHIP. If an employee owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private company, he or she must immediately report this in writing to Code Compliance (via the Code of Ethics mailbox), providing the name of the company and the total number of such company's shares beneficially owned.

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GAMBLING RELATED TO THE SECURITIES MARKETS. All associates subject to the Code are prohibited from wagering, betting or gambling related to individual securities, securities indices, currency spreads, or other similar financial indices or instruments. This prohibition applies to wagers placed through casinos, betting parlors or internet gambling sites and is applicable regardless of where the activity is initiated (e.g., home or firm computer or telephone). This specific prohibition does not restrict the purchase or sale of securities through a securities account reported to Code Compliance even if these transactions are effected with a speculative investment objective.

INITIAL DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS BY ACCESS PERSONS. Upon commencement of employment, appointment or promotion (no later than 10 calendar days after the starting date), each Access Person, except an independent director of the Price Funds, is required by U.S. securities laws to disclose all current securities holdings in which he or she is considered to have beneficial ownership or control ("Initial Holdings Report") (see page 5-4 for definition of the term Beneficial Owner) and provide or reconfirm the information regarding all of his or her securities accounts. Access Persons should use myTRPcompliance, located on the Exchange, to disclose and certify their Initial Holdings Report. SEC Rules require that each Initial Holding Report contain, at a minimum, the following information:

Securities title;

Securities type;

Exchange ticker number or CUSIP number, as applicable;

Number of shares or principal amount of each reportable securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;

The name of any broker, dealer or both with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person's direct or indirect benefit; and

The date the Access Person submits the Initial Holding Report.

The information provided must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

ANNUAL DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS BY ACCESS PERSONS. Each Access Person, except an independent director of the Price Funds, is also required to file an Annual Compliance Certification as of December 31 of each year. This report can be completed by using myTRPcompliance located on the Exchange. This report is due by no later than January 31. The Chief Compliance Officer or their designee reviews all Annual Compliance Certifications.

SANCTIONS. Strict compliance with the provisions of this Statement is considered a basic provision of employment or other association with Price Group and the Price Funds. The Ethics Committee, the Code Compliance Team, and the TRP International Compliance Team are primarily responsible for administering this Statement. In fulfilling this function, the Ethics Committee will institute such procedures as it deems reasonably necessary to monitor each person's and entity's compliance with this Statement and to otherwise prevent and detect violations.

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Violations by Access Persons, Non-Access Persons and Independent Directors of Price Group. Upon discovering a material violation of this Statement by any person or entity other than an independent director of a Price Fund, the Ethics Committee will impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate and as are approved by the Management Committee or the Board of Directors including, inter alia, a letter of censure or suspension, a fine, a suspension of trading privileges or termination of employment and/or officership of the violator. In addition, the violator may be required to forfeit any profit realized from any transaction that is in violation of this Statement to the T. Rowe Price Foundation or an approved international non-profit organization. All material violations of this Statement shall be reported to the Board of Directors of Price Group and to the Board of Directors of any Price Fund with respect to whose securities such violations may have been involved.

Following are sanctions guidelines associated with violations of this Statement. These guidelines are supplemental to the forfeiture of profit associated with certain violations where an associate economically benefited. Code Compliance will utilize a rolling two- year, look-back period in the administration of the sanctions guidelines.

First Violation

Associate and manager notification, and

Associate required to complete online remedial training course.

Second Violation

Associate and escalated manager notifications up to, and including, applicable

Management Committee ("MC") member,

Associate required to complete online remedial training course,

Associate required to meet with applicable Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Compliance Manager, and

Associate fined according to officer or role guidelines.

Associate

VP TRP Group

Investment

Portfolio Manager,

 

 

Personnel

Business Unit Leader,

 

 

 

MC Member

$250

$750

$750

$1,500

Third Violation

Associate and escalated manager notifications up to, and including, applicable

Management Committee ("MC") member,

Chief Executive Officer notified,

Associate required to complete online remedial training course,

Associate subject to three-month trading prohibition, and

Associate fined according to officer or role guidelines.

Associate

VP TRP Group

Investment

Portfolio Manager,

 

 

Personnel

Business Unit Leader,

 

 

 

MC Member

$500

$2,000

$2,000

$5,000

Fourth Violation

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Sanctions to be determined by Ethics Committee.

Violations by Independent Directors of Price Funds. Upon discovering a material violation of this Statement by an independent director of a Price Fund, the Ethics Committee shall report such violation to the Board on which the director serves. The Price Fund Board will impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate.

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

SYSTEMS SECURITY AND RELATED ISSUES

Purpose of Statement of Policy ("Statement"). The central and critical role of computer systems in our firm's operations underscores the importance of ensuring their confidentiality, availability, and integrity. Our data is an extremely valuable asset and should be protected by all system users. Data within the T. Rowe Price Group network should be considered proprietary and confidential and should be protected as such. This Statement should be read in conjunction with the Statement of Policy on Privacy (page 8-1).

Systems activities and information will be referred to collectively in this Statement as the "Systems". The Systems include all hardware, software, operating systems, and wired and wireless network resources involved in the business of T. Rowe Price; all information transmitted, received, logged or stored through the Systems including email, voice mail, messaging, printers, and online facsimiles; and all back-ups and records retained for regulatory or other purposes including all portable and fixed storage media and locations for storage. Information also includes any work products that are created while working at or on behalf of T. Rowe Price and are the exclusive property of T. Rowe Price unless otherwise stipulated.

The Systems also include the use of computer access, data, services and equipment provided by T. Rowe Price including any access to the Internet or via Internet; access to and use of commercial and specialized software programs and systems licensed or developed for the firm's use; access to and use of customer and T. Rowe Price business data; use of and data on T. Rowe Price desktop and portable computers, and other mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. The use, access, or storage of data on non-T. Rowe Price equipment (including but not limited to personally owned or "home" equipment, hotel or business center-supplied devices, web and/or cloud services, and conference supplied or internet café terminals) used for T. Rowe Price business purposes is included in the definition of systems, as appropriate.

Any new device, application or methodology offered by T. Rowe Price subsequent to the date of this version of this Statement, or that comes into common use for business purposes, is also covered under this definition of T. Rowe Price Systems and information.

This Statement establishes an acceptable use policy for all Price Group Associates and all other individuals, including vendors, cloud services, service providers and contractors, with Price Group systems access.

The Statement has been designed to give associates guidelines to:

Maintain and protect the integrity of customer, corporate, and employee confidential information;

Prevent the unauthorized use of or access to our firm's computer Systems;

Prevent breaches and the introduction of malicious software; and

Respond to incidents and alert management in accordance with defined practices.

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Any material violation of this Statement may lead to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal of individuals involved. Additionally, actions in violation of this Statement may constitute a crime under applicable laws.

By using the firm's Systems, you agree to be bound by this Statement and consent to the access to and disclosure of all information by the firm and do not have any expectation of privacy in connection with the use of the Systems.

SECURITY PRINCIPLES. T. Rowe Price maintains a security organization, with supporting policies, to provide guidance and direction on appropriate security controls to all associates and users. Key principles for end users or associate behavior include:

Security Responsibility. Security is everyone's responsibility at T. Rowe Price.

Suspicious Activity. Report all suspicious activity to the Help Desk immediately.

Authorized System Users. Access to systems is restricted to authorized users who need access in order to support their business activities. This includes systems that are External to the T. Rowe Price environment.

User-IDs and Passwords. Every user is assigned a unique User-ID. Each User-ID has a password that must be kept confidential by the users. Employee IDs and easily deducible information should not be used for passwords. Users will be held accountable for work performed with their User-IDs.

Secure Desk / Asset. Sensitive information must be secured and/or locked appropriately when unattended. This includes electronic and physical information.

Mobile Assets. All portable computer equipment (e.g., laptops, smart phones, flash drives) containing information that is sensitive must be encrypted and password protected where possible. In the event of loss or theft, contact the Help Desk immediately.

Incident Response. T. Rowe Price has the authority, at its own discretion, to disable any ID or activity as needed to respond to a security issue. Efforts will be made to contact presumed owners of these IDs as appropriate; however, IDs may be disabled as part of system or vulnerability management processes.

INTERNET ACCESS AND OTHER ONLINE SERVICES. Accessing the Internet and accessing T. Rowe Price systems from the Internet presents special security considerations due to the nature of the connection and the security concerns present in Internet services. When using Internet access or other online services, the following policies apply:

The use of firm Systems is intended for legitimate business purposes and individuals should limit personal use. You may not use the firm's Systems in any way that might pose a business risk or data privacy risk or in a manner that violates laws.

Do not use firm's Systems to access or send inappropriate content, including, but not limited to adult or gambling internet sites or to create or forward communications that could be offensive to others or embarrassing to you or T. Rowe Price.

T. Rowe Price may block access to internet sites or emails without prior notice based on potential risk to the firm or for other business reasons.

You may not access or download anything for installation or storage onto the firm's computers for personal use including, but not limited to, streaming media, videos, music, games, or messaging and mail applications.

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T. Rowe Price Systems may not be used to remotely control, maintain, or service unauthorized computers or systems. T. Rowe Price systems may not be connected to non-T. Rowe Price networks, as this could lead to system attack/compromise and data loss. Wireless routers and/or hotspots may not be connected to the T. Rowe Price network.

No person or entity may contract for domain names for use by Price Group or for the benefit of Price Group without express authority from the Legal Department. Internet domain names are assets of the firm and are purchased and maintained centrally. This also includes free account registrations such as those on social networking sites and web email.

Only approved Systems and solutions may be used to conduct T. Rowe Price business. The independent use of other technologies, including peer-to-peer file sharing networks or software, web file storage, removeable storage devices (e.g. USB and hard drives), and Instant Messaging, are prohibited as they may not meet regulatory requirements to transfer, monitor and archive electronic communications. No personal email accounts may ever be used to send or receive business or client related communications.

Associates are prohibited from using personal mobile devices to conduct Price Group business activities except as defined in the Mobile Device Policy or as authorized by management. Non-public customer information may not be stored on personal mobile devices. If personal devices are used to conduct business activities, personal devices and/or content could be requested as part of an investigation or subpoena.

The Technology and Recovery Centers are considered sensitive locations and their location should not be publicly disclosed. If asked for their location by clients or others, please direct the inquiry to your manager or the Help Desk for evaluation.

Guidelines for Installing Software. Only approved software is authorized to be installed on Price Group systems. Any software program that is used by Price Group personnel in connection with the business of the firm must be ordered through the Help Desk. T. Rowe Price has the authority, at its own discretion; to remove any installed software, downloaded software, or any other application or executable that is not authorized for use by Price Group or may pose a security risk.

Downloading or Copying and Remote Printing. Downloading or copying software using T. Rowe Price Systems, including documents, graphics, programs and other computer-based materials, from any outside source is not permitted unless it is authorized. Downloads and copies may introduce viruses and malicious code into Systems. Downloading or uploading copyrighted materials may violate the rights of the authors of the materials, may create a liability, privacy or security breach, or cause embarrassment to the firm. Downloading or copying T. Rowe Price data or source code to an unapproved removable storage device is prohibited. Remotely printing T. Rowe Price data from any outside printer (e.g. hotel, home, etc.) is not permitted unless authorized.

PROTECTION FROM MALICOUS CODE. "Malicious code" is computer code that is designed to damage or access software or data on a computer system. T. Rowe Price manages a comprehensive malicious code prevention and control program to protect Systems and data. Introducing a virus or similar malicious code into the Price Group Systems by engaging in prohibited actions or by failing to implement recommended precautions may lead to disciplinary actions. Pranks, jokes, or other actions that simulate or trigger a system security event such as, but not limited to, a computer virus are prohibited. Users must comply with the following security practices:

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Contact the Help Desk. Immediately contact the Help Desk for anything that appears suspicious or is identified as malicious. The Help Desk will determine whether the device is infected, the severity of the infection, and the appropriate remedial actions.

Be Careful when Opening Emails. Carefully review emails, attachments, or links prior to opening or accessing them, as they may contain malicious code or viruses. Report suspicious emails as soon as feasible.

Approved Devices. Only connect devices issued or approved by T. Rowe Price into Systems to reduce the risk of malware infections. This includes, but is not limited to, thumb drives, mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets, and gadgets/novelties powered by USB ports.

Maintain Security Settings. Users should not disable virus scanning features, password settings, or other security features for any reason. Failure to maintain updated scanning files is also prohibited.

Keep T. Rowe Price Mobile Assets Updated. Users who receive a Price Group technology asset must install updates as instructed by the Help Desk and/or connect the asset to the Price Group network on a regular basis to receive software, application, and operating system security updates.

Keep Personal Computer Assets Updated. Users must maintain anti-virus software, application, and operating system security updates on all non-T. Rowe Price or personally owned assets that are used to access the T. Rowe Price network. Remote devices that do not meet these requirements may be prevented from connecting to the T. Rowe Price network.

Report Unauthorized Network Connections. Report any attempts to create an unauthorized or foreign connection to the network to the Help Desk.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF SYSTEM ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION. System activities and access on Price Group computers is subject to monitoring by firm personnel or others. All such information are records of the firm and the sole property of the firm. The firm reserves the right to monitor, access, and disclose for any purpose all information, including all messages sent, received, transmitted, or stored through the Systems.

Certain departments at T. Rowe Price record telephone conversations placed to and from the department (this includes but is not limited to the Call Centers and Corporate Actions Department). These recordings are made for various purposes, such as for quality review, when required by law, recording of instructions, as well as for other business reasons. Any telephone conversations placed to and from these departments (including internal calls) will be recorded and subject to monitoring.

Information, including electronic communications, entered into our firm's computers but later deleted from the Systems may continue to be maintained for applicable periods on our firm's back- up repositories or in records retained for regulatory or other purposes.

PARTICIPATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES. Associates are directed to the Social Media Policy located on the Exchange to understand their responsibilities with respect to social media.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS STATEMENT. Please contact the Legal Department if you have any questions regarding this Statement.

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6-2

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

COMPLIANCE WITH ANTITRUST LAWS

Purpose of Statement of Policy. To protect the interests of Price Group and its personnel, Price Group has adopted this Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws ("Statement") to:

Describe the legal principles governing prohibited anticompetitive activity in the conduct of Price Group's business; and

Establish guidelines for contacts with other members of the investment management industry to avoid violations of the antitrust laws.

The Basic U.S. Anticompetitive Activity Prohibition. Section 1 of the U.S. Sherman Antitrust Act (the "Act") prohibits agreements, understandings, or joint actions between companies that constitute a "restraint of trade", i.e., that reduce or eliminate competition.

This prohibition is triggered only by an agreement or action among two or more companies; unilateral action never violates the Act. To constitute an illegal agreement, however, an understanding does not need to be formal or written. Comments made in conversations, casual comments at meetings, or even as little as "a knowing wink," as one case says, may be sufficient to establish an illegal agreement under the Act.

The agreed-upon action must be anticompetitive. Some actions are "per se" anticompetitive, while others are judged according to a "rule of reason."

Some activities have been found to be so inherently anticompetitive that a court will not even permit the argument that they have a pro-competitive component. Examples of such per se illegal activities are bid-rigging; agreements between competitors to fix prices or terms of doing business; to divide up markets in any way, such as exclusive territories; or to jointly boycott a competitor or service provider.

Other joint agreements or activities will be examined by a court using the rule of reason approach to see if the pro-competitive results of the arrangement outweigh the anticompetitive effects. Under certain circumstances, permissible agreements among competitors may include a buyers' cooperative, or a syndicate of buyers for an initial public offering of securities. The rule of reason analysis requires a detailed inquiry into market power and market conditions.

There is also an exception for joint activity designed to influence government action. Such activity is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For example, members of an industry may agree to lobby Congress jointly to enact legislation that may be manifestly anticompetitive.

Penalties for Violating the Sherman Act. A charge that the Act has been violated can be brought as a civil or a criminal action. Civil damages can include treble damages, plus attorney's fees. Criminal penalties for individuals can include fines of up to $1,000,000 and ten years in jail, and $100 million or more for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the amount

7-1

conspirators gained from the illegal acts or twice the money lost by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is over $100 million.

Situations in Which Antitrust Issues May Arise. To avoid violating the Act, any discussion with other members of the investment management industry regarding which securities to buy or sell and under what circumstances we buy or sell them, or about the manner in which we market our mutual funds, other commingled vehicles, and investment and retirement services, must be made with the prohibitions of the Act in mind. In addition, any discussion with our competitors about the use of particular vendors or service providers may implicate the Sherman Act.

Trade Association Meetings and Activities. A trade association is a group of competitors who join together to share common interests and seek common solutions to common problems. Such associations are at a high risk for anticompetitive activity and are closely scrutinized by regulators. Attorneys for trade associations, such as the Investment Company Institute, are typically present at meetings of members to assist in avoiding violations.

Permissible Activities:

Discussion of how to make the industry more competitive.

An exchange of information or ideas that have pro-competitive or competitively neutral effects, such as: methods of protecting the health or safety of workers; methods of educating customers and preventing abuses; and information regarding how to design and operate training programs.

Collective action to petition government entities.

Activities to Avoid:

Any discussion or direct exchange of current information about prices, salaries, fees, or terms and conditions of sales. Even if such information is publicly available, problems can arise if the information available to the public is difficult to compile or not as current as that being exchanged.

Discussion of specific customers, markets, or territories.

Negative discussions of service providers that could give rise to an inference of a joint refusal to deal with the provider (a "boycott").

Investment-Related Discussions

Permissible Activities:

Buyers or sellers with a common economic interest may join together to facilitate securities transactions that might otherwise not occur, such as the formation of a syndicate to buy in a private placement or initial public offering of an issuer's stock, or negotiations among creditors of an insolvent or bankrupt company.

Competing investment managers are permitted to serve on creditors' committees together and engage in other similar activities in connection with bankruptcies and other judicial proceedings.

7-2

Activities to Avoid:

It is important to avoid anything that suggests involvement with any other firm in any threats to "boycott" or "blackball" new offerings, including making any ambiguous statement that, taken out of context, might be misunderstood to imply such joint action. Avoid careless or unguarded comments that a hostile or suspicious listener might interpret as suggesting prohibited coordinated behavior between Price Group and any other potential buyer.

Example: After an Illinois municipal bond default where the state legislature retroactively abrogated some of the bondholders' rights, several investment management complexes organized to protest the state's action. In doing so, there was arguably an implied threat that members of the group would boycott future Illinois municipal bond offerings. Such a boycott would be a violation of the Act. The investment management firms' action led to an 18-month U.S. Department of Justice investigation. Although the investigation did not lead to any legal action, it was extremely expensive and time consuming for the firms and individual managers involved.

If you are present when anyone outside of Price Group suggests that two or more investors with a grievance against an issuer coordinate future purchasing decisions, you should immediately reject any such suggestion. As soon as possible thereafter, notify the Legal Department, which will take whatever further steps are necessary.

Benchmarking. Benchmarking is the process of measuring and comparing an organization's processes, products and services to those of industry leaders for the purpose of adopting innovative practices for improvement.

Because benchmarking usually involves the direct exchange of information with competitors, it is particularly subject to the risk of violating the antitrust laws.

The list of issues that may and should not be discussed in the context of a trade association also applies in the benchmarking process.

All proposed benchmarking agreements must be reviewed by the Legal Department before the firm agrees to participate in such a survey.

Discussions with Companies

It is acceptable for Price Group personnel to have individual discussions with executives of companies whether or not Price Group advisers have invested in those companies on behalf of investment advisory clients. However, caution should be exercised when having discussions with multiple companies that are in the same industry; particularly companies in concentrated industries. It could create legal issues if an individual or entity that speaks with competing companies passes confidential or sensitive business information between or among those companies. Such indirect exchanges of information could be evidence of collusion among the competing firms and the individual or entity passing the information could be the subject of litigation alleging industry collusion. For the same reason, you should avoid discussions with executives of companies that suggest a common industry

7-3

position on a competitive issue such as prices, supply, capacity, market entry, or product development, especially that you or Price Group is suggesting or endorsing such a common position. If you have questions about the acceptable scope of discussions with companies, contact the Legal Department.

Antitrust Restrictions Related to Acquisitions, Mergers and Other Transactions

Basic Restrictions. The U.S. Clayton Act bars any corporate transaction that is likely to substantially lessen competition in a particular market. This law applies not just to mergers, but to any acquisition of stock or assets, regardless of whether it transfers ownership or control. Generally, acquisitions by Price Group and similar entities do not raise issues under the Clayton Act. However, acquisitions of shares in competing companies by active investors who may seek to alter the competitive behavior of the companies they hold can be subject to challenge under the Clayton Act.

Reporting Requirements. Acquisitions of any significant size may be reportable to government antitrust authorities. In general, acquisitions by Price Group advisers on behalf of investment advisory clients are exempt from such requirements so long as the acquisitions are made solely for investment purposes. However, if any Price Group entity or employee seeks to influence the regular business decisions of a company in which Price Group advisers have holdings, the exemption from reporting may not apply. Contact the Legal Department if you have any questions.

International Requirements. The UK, European Union ("E.U."), and several countries in the Asia-Pacific ("APAC") region have requirements based on principles similar to those of U.S. law. In many cases, the laws of the E.U. are stricter than the laws of the U.S. If you have specific questions about UK, E.U., or APAC requirements, contact the Legal Department.

Antitrust Laws Relating to Employment

The U.S. antitrust laws apply to competition among firms to hire employees. An agreement among competing employers to fix the terms of employment for potential hires or to limit employment of another's employees can subject the firm or individual to civil or criminal enforcement action.

7-4

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

PRIVACY

Scope and Enforcement

This Policy applies to all T. Rowe Price associates, contractors and directors with respect to all operations carried out globally by T. Rowe Price which involve the processing of personal data.

It is the responsibility of every associate, contractor and director throughout T. Rowe Price to comply with this Policy. Understanding of this Policy is supported through mandatory training for associates and contractors. The principles behind the Policy also are reflected in T. Rowe Price's Code of Ethics and Conduct, acknowledgement of which is required on an annual basis. Violations of this Policy may constitute grounds for disciplinary actions, up to and including, termination of employment or removal from your position.

T. Rowe Price senior management ultimately is responsible for promoting compliance to this Policy.

Definitions

Data Breach or Incident means any breach of security leading to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, or alteration of personal data or unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data.

Personal Data means any information relating to an individual that identifies the individual or could reasonably be used to identify the individual regardless of the medium involved (e.g., paper, electronic, video or audio) or how it was obtained (e.g., from an application form or through a cookie on a website that can identify an individual). Examples of personal data include contact details, identification numbers, financial data, passwords, IP addresses, pictures, online search history, and geolocation information. As required by applicable law, it also includes sensitive personal data, such as health or medical information, government-issued identification numbers, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or similar beliefs, trade union memberships, criminal offenses, sexual life information and genetic or biometric data.

The most common sources of personal data relates to clients and associates. While the privacy/data protection laws of countries typically do not extend to entities, we apply appropriate security safeguards to protect information related to clients that are entities.

Processing means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

Data Protection Principles

T. Rowe Price's business operations shall be consistent with the following Data Protection Principles. These principles are binding across our business.

1.Lawful Processing. T. Rowe Price collects, uses, and shares personal data where we have lawful grounds and legitimate business reasons for doing so. We are subject to data protection and privacy laws within each of the jurisdictions in which we operate and we undertake to conduct our business in compliance with these laws. We also are committed to helping individuals understand what information we collect, how we use it, the circumstances under which we share it with third parties, and, as applicable, what choices they have. We explain this to clients, associates and business contacts in our privacy notices as required by applicable law. We review our privacy notices regularly to keep them up to date and to ensure they match our internal practices.

2.Purposes. We collect personal data for legitimate purposes, and we strive to collect only as much personal data as we need to achieve those purposes. Though personal data can help us improve the services we provide, we should leverage it in a manner that is compliant with applicable regulation and consistent with and proportionate to our corporate policies and goals.

3.Data Accuracy. The firm take steps to ensure that the personal data we hold is accurate, relevant, and, where necessary, kept up-to-date.

4.Data Retention. We keep personal data to comply with applicable laws and obligations and take steps to ensure the safe destruction or de-identification of personal data when it is no longer required by law to be retained or it is no longer necessary for a legitimate business purpose.

5.Rights of Individuals. T. Rowe Price is committed to addressing the privacy rights of individuals, as set forth in applicable laws, with respect to our processing of their personal data.

6.Information Security. We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to keep personal data secure and ensure its integrity, confidentiality and availability across our systems. We regularly evaluate changes in technology and changes in risk and respond as appropriate.

7.International Transfers of Personal Data. T. Rowe Price is a global business and as such we transfer personal data internationally in the normal course of business. We are committed to maintaining adequate safeguards, as required by applicable laws, to protect the personal data we transfer to a country that is not regarded as having fully equivalent data protection laws.

8.Data Protection Accountability. We are all responsible for upholding the Data Protection Principles and respecting individuals' privacy rights. We have a collective and individual duty to protect our clients', associates' and business partners' personal data. In order to create an environment of trust and to comply with applicable laws, all individuals operating within or on behalf of T. Rowe Price are required to comply with our Data Protection Principles and help us to uphold our commitments to the protection of personal data.

8-2

Roles and Responsibilities

While the Data Protection Principles apply to all of us at T. Rowe Price, stakeholders at different corporate levels within T. Rowe Price play a role in ensuring overall privacy risk management and data protection compliance.

Every business unit is responsible for:

Ensuring the security of the personal data it maintains.

Allowing access to personal data only to those who require access for their job functions.

Reporting any known or suspected privacy breaches or incidents promptly as required.

Every associate and contingent worker is responsible for:

Applying the Data Protection Principles to the collection, use, and sharing of personal data and following our policies, procedures and standards regarding privacy.

Learn how to identify personal data and report any questions to the Global Privacy Office.

Collect personal data that is directly relevant and necessary to accomplish the specified purpose(s) and retain personal data in identifiable form only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the specified purpose(s) or as otherwise required or permitted by law.

Use and share personal data consistent with the purpose(s) for which it was collected.

Ensure that personal data is accurate, relevant, and, where necessary, kept up-to-date.

Secure personal data (paper and electronic) through appropriate security safeguards against risks such as loss, unauthorized access or use, destruction, modification, or unintended or inappropriate disclosure.

Avoid accessing, collecting or storing personal data that is not necessary for your current job responsibilities.

Dispose of personal data securely. For example; by using shredders or secured shred/recycle bins provided in offices or appropriate electronic erasure.

Remember that personal data belongs to T. Rowe Price and may not be copied, transferred or otherwise removed without permission.

Using T. Rowe Price data and equipment appropriately and securely.

Use T. Rowe Price data, systems and equipment for legitimate business purposes only and in accordance with applicable policies, guidelines and instructions.

Use secure transmission protocols when sending personal data outside of T. Rowe Price (e.g., encrypted file transfers and not unencrypted emails or attachments).

Limit internal access to personal data to those with a genuine "need to know," and limit the amount of personal data to that which is necessary to accomplish the business purpose.

Do not install or use any unapproved software.

Manage business applications on TRP computers and telecommunications devices in accordance with this Global Privacy Policy and any separate policies of Global Technology for a particular type of device or system.

Reporting known or suspected data security breaches or incidents.

8-3

Report known or suspected data breaches or incidents without delay to the Help Desk (Select option 2 on Help Desk menu) and also follow any internal reporting required within your business unit. Be alert for:

oSuspicious activity related to a computer, network, or software application.

oPotential or actual loss, misuse, improper access or modification of personal data.

oThe security of any system or device containing personal data has been compromised.

oAn incident in which personal data has been accessed, used or disclosed in violation of any applicable policy.

Once submitted, the incident will be investigated, and corrective actions implemented, as necessary or as appropriate.

Completing required training.

Complete all required privacy and information security training.

8-4

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

OF

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

INDEX

Access Persons...........................................................................................................................................

5-3

Activities, Political...................................................................................................................................

2-11

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons ...................................................................................

1-3

Advisory Board Membership for Profitmaking Enterprise........................................................................

2-5

Allocation Policy .......................................................................................................................................

2-1

Annual Compliance Certification ....................................................................................................

2-1, 5-27

Anti-Bribery Laws and Prohibitions Against Illegal Payments .................................................................

2-1

Anti-Money Laundering ............................................................................................................................

2-2

Antitrust ..............................................................................................................................................

2-2,7-1

Appropriate Conduct..................................................................................................................................

2-2

Assets, Protection of Corporate ...............................................................................................................

2-12

Beneficial Ownership, Definition of ..........................................................................................................

5-4

Charitable Contributions ............................................................................................................................

2-2

Circulation of Rumors..............................................................................................................................

2-15

Client Limit Orders ..................................................................................................................................

5-24

Client/Vendor Company Stock, Investment in ..........................................................................................

2-6

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Compliance with .........................................................................................

1-4

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Persons and Entities Subject to ...................................................................

1-2

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Purpose of ...................................................................................................

1-1

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Questions Regarding ...................................................................................

1-4

Commodity Futures Contracts ...................................................................................................................

5-9

Compliance Procedures, Funds and Federal Advisers ...............................................................................

1-4

Conduct, Standards of, Price Group and its Personnel ..............................................................................

2-1

Confidentiality/Privacy .......................................................................................................................

2-7,8-1

Conflicts of Interest....................................................................................................................................

2-4

Contracts for Difference ..........................................................................................................................

5-26

Contributions, Political ............................................................................................................................

2-11

Corporate Assets, Protection of ...............................................................................................................

2-12

Crowdfunding ..........................................................................................................................................

5-14

Cryptocurrency"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 5-10

Currency Trading .....................................................................................................................................

5-10

Destruction of Records ............................................................................................................................

2-13

Donor-Advised Funds, Transactions in .....................................................................................................

5-9

Drug Policy ................................................................................................................................................

2-9

Employee Likenesses, and Information, Use of ........................................................................................

2-9

Employment of Former Government Employees ......................................................................................

2-9

Equal Opportunity......................................................................................................................................

2-8

Excessive Trading, Mutual Funds Shares ..................................................................................................

5-2

Exchange-Traded Funds ("ETFs")...........................................................................................................

5-10

Executor, Service as.................................................................................................................................

2-15

Expense Payments and Reimbursements ...................................................................................................

2-8

Fees, Referral ...........................................................................................................................................

2-13

Fiduciary, Price Advisers' Status as a .................................................................................................

1-2,5-1

Financial Reporting....................................................................................................................................

2-8

ii-1

Financial Service Firms, Relationships with..............................................................................................

2-5

Front Running ............................................................................................................................................

5-1

Gambling Related to Securities Markets .................................................................................................

5-27

General Policy Statement...........................................................................................................................

1-1

Gifts and Entertainment ......................................................................................................................

2-8,3-1

Global Investment Performance Standards ("GIPS") ..............................................................................

2-12

Government Employees, Employment of Former .....................................................................................

2-9

Harassment and Discrimination, Policy Against .......................................................................................

2-9

Illegal Payments..................................................................................................................................

2-1,3-1

Independent Directors of Price Funds, Reporting....................................................................................

5-19

Independent Directors of Price Group, Reporting ...................................................................................

5-21

Information Barrier ....................................................................................................................................

4-9

Information, Release to the Press.............................................................................................................

2-14

Initial Public Offerings ............................................................................................................................

5-13

Inside Information.............................................................................................................................

2-9,4-10

Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act................................................................

4-1,4-3,5-1

Interest, Conflicts of...................................................................................................................................

2-4

Investment Clubs ............................................................................................................................

2-10,5-22

Investment Personnel .................................................................................................................................

5-4

Large Issuer/Volume Transactions ..........................................................................................................

5-23

Litigation, Past and Current .....................................................................................................................

2-10

Lobbying ..................................................................................................................................................

2-12

Margin Accounts......................................................................................................................................

5-22

Market Timing, Mutual Fund Shares .........................................................................................................

5-2

Marketing and Sales Activities ................................................................................................................

2-10

Mutual Fund Shares, Excessive Trading of ...............................................................................................

5-2

myTRPcompliance...................................................................................................................................

5-15

NASDAQ Requirements............................................................................................................................

1-4

Non-Access Persons...................................................................................................................................

5-4

Nonprofitmaking Organizations, Service with ..........................................................................................

2-5

Options and Futures .................................................................................................................................

5-24

Outside Business Activities .....................................................................................................................

2-10

Payments, Illegal........................................................................................................................................

2-1

Personal Representative, Service as.........................................................................................................

2-17

Personal Securities Holdings, Disclosure of by Access Persons .............................................................

5-27

Political Action Committee ("PAC").......................................................................................................

2-11

Political Activities and Contributions ......................................................................................................

2-11

Press, Release of Information to the ........................................................................................................

2-14

Price Funds Held on Price Platforms or Through TRP Brokerage ..........................................................

5-12

Price Group Stock, Transactions in............................................................................................................

5-5

Price Group, Standards of Conduct............................................................................................................

2-1

Prior Transaction Clearance Denials, Requests for Reconsideration.......................................................

5-16

Prior Transaction Clearance of Securities Transactions (other than Price Group stock) .........................

5-14

Privacy Policies and Procedures ................................................................................................................

8-1

Private Placement, Investment In.............................................................................................................

5-14

Professional Designations ........................................................................................................................

2-12

Profitmaking Enterprises, Relationships with............................................................................................

2-4

Transactions in T. Rowe Price Charitable ..........................................................................................

5-6,5-9

Protection of Corporate Assets ................................................................................................................

2-12

Publications..............................................................................................................................................

2-15

Quality of Services...................................................................................................................................

2-13

Questions Regarding the Code...................................................................................................................

1-4

Rating Changes on Security.....................................................................................................................

5-16

ii-2

Record Destruction ..................................................................................................................................

2-13

Record Retention .....................................................................................................................................

2-13

Referral Fees ............................................................................................................................................

2-13

Regulation FD ............................................................................................................................................

4-7

Release of Information to the Press .........................................................................................................

2-14

Reportable Funds .....................................................................................................................................

5-12

Reporting by Independent Directors of Price Group ...............................................................................

5-21

Reporting by Independent Directors of the Price Funds ..........................................................................

5-19

Reporting Violations ................................................................................................................................

2-14

Reporting, Financial...................................................................................................................................

2-8

Reporting, Price Group Stock Transactions...............................................................................................

5-7

Restricted List ............................................................................................................................................

4-9

Retention of Code ......................................................................................................................................

1-1

Retention, Record .............................................................................................................................

2-13,8-2

Rule 10b5-1................................................................................................................................................

4-6

Rule 10b5-2................................................................................................................................................

4-4

Sales and Marketing Activities ................................................................................................................

2-10

Sanctions ...................................................................................................................................

1-1, ,5-27,4-1

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements.................................................................................

2-15

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes ...............................................................................................................................

1-4

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures.............................................................................................

2-14

Section 529 College Savings Plans, Reporting ...............................................................................

5-12,5-18

Securities Accounts, Notifications of.......................................................................................................

5-17

Services, Quality of..................................................................................................................................

2-13

Short Sales ...............................................................................................................................................

5-25

Sixty (60) Day Rule .................................................................................................................................

5-25

Social Media ............................................................................................................................................

2-15

Speaking Engagements ............................................................................................................................

2-15

Standards of Conduct of Price Group and its Personnel ............................................................................

2-1

Statement, General Policy..........................................................................................................................

1-1

Supervised Persons, Adviser Act Requirements for ..................................................................................

1-3

Supervised Persons, Definition of..............................................................................................................

1-2

Supervision of Requests Regarding Charitable Contributions...................................................................

2-2

Systems Security ...............................................................................................................................

2-16,6-1

Temporary Workers, Application of Code to .....................................................................................

1-2,5-3

Trading Activity, Generally .....................................................................................................................

5-23

Trading Activity, Mutual Fund Shares ......................................................................................................

5-2

Trustee, Service as ...................................................................................................................................

2-15

Use of Employees' Likenesses and Information ........................................................................................

2-9

Vendors, Relationships with Potential .......................................................................................................

2-6

Violations, Responsibility to Report ........................................................................................................

2-14

Waiver for Executive Officer, Reporting of ..............................................................................................

1-4

Watch List..................................................................................................................................................

4-9

Whistleblower Procedures .......................................................................................................................

2-14

ii-3

Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

Victory Capital Management Inc.

Code of Ethics

Effective July 1, 2019

Previously updated: July 1, 2018

Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

July 1, 2019

1.

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................

1

2.

Definitions.........................................................................................................................................

2

3.

Culture of Compliance.....................................................................................................................

4

4.

Policy Statement on Insider Trading..............................................................................................

5

A. Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................

5

B. Scope of the Policy Statement..............................................................................................................

5

C. What is Material Information? ...............................................................................................................

5

D. What is Non-Public Information? ..........................................................................................................

6

E. Identifying Inside Information ................................................................................................................

6

F. Contact with Public Companies ............................................................................................................

7

G. Tender Offers ........................................................................................................................................

7

H. Protecting Sensitive Information ...........................................................................................................

7

I.

Trading in Securities Listed on Exchanges in Other Countries ............................................................

7

J.

Public Company Confidential Records .................................................................................................

7

5.

Conflicts of Interest..........................................................................................................................

8

A. Gifts and Entertainment ........................................................................................................................

8

B. Political Contributions ...........................................................................................................................

9

C. Outside Business Activities.................................................................................................................

10

D. Other Prohibitions on Conduct............................................................................................................

11

E. Review of Employee Communications ...............................................................................................

12

6.

Standards of Business Conduct...................................................................................................

12

7.

Personal Trading, Code of Ethics Reporting and Certifications...............................................

12

A. Employee Investment Accounts..........................................................................................................

13

B. Employee Investment Account Reporting...........................................................................................

14

Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

July 1, 2019

C. Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions ..............................................................................

15

D. Representation and Warranties ..........................................................................................................

17

E. Quarterly and Annual Certifications of Compliance ............................................................................

17

F. Review Procedures.............................................................................................................................

18

G. Recordkeeping ....................................................................................................................................

18

H. Whistleblower Provisions ....................................................................................................................

18

I.

Confidentiality......................................................................................................................................

18

J.

Reporting to the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds ......................................................................

18

8.

Code of Ethics Violation Guidelines ............................................................................................

18

Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Funds & Reportable Funds .......................................................

i

Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List ...........................................................................................................

ii

Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure .............................................................................................

iii

Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities ...........................................................................................................

iv

Appendix 5 – ETFs Eligible for De Minimis Transaction Exemption ..........................................................

vi

Supplement 1 - RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited Code of Ethics Supplement ("Hong Kong

 

Supplement")................................................................................................................................................

vii

Supplement 2 - RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. ("RSIMS") Code of Ethics

 

Supplement ("Singapore Supplement") ........................................................................................................

x

Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

1. INTRODUCTION

July 1, 2019

Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act") requires all investment advisers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") to adopt codes of ethics that set forth standards of conduct and require compliance with federal securities laws. Victory Capital Management Inc. ("Victory Capital"), a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and its subsidiaries, RS Investments (UK) Limited, RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, and RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (collectively, "Victory Capital"), have adopted this Code of Ethics ("Code"), which sets forth the standards of business conduct that are required of Victory Capital employees. As an adviser to regulated investment companies, Victory Capital also adopts this Code in adherence to Rule 17j-11 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Officers and employees of RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited and RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. should also review the related Code supplements.

Victory Capital is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Victory Capital Holdings, Inc. ("VCH"). VCH is a Delaware corporation with its Class A common stock listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, under the ticker symbol "VCTR." As a public company, new compliance policies were adopted by VCH. The VCH policies are in addition to the compliance program of Victory Capital. In particular, the VCH policies that apply to all Victory Capital employees include: (1) Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, (2) Corporate Communications Policy and (3) Insider Trading Policy. These policies are available through the company intranet site "Under the wing".

Victory Capital Advisers, Inc. ("VCA"), a Victory Capital affiliate, is a registered broker-dealer and principal underwriter of Victory Capital's Affiliated Funds (defined herein) and has adopted this Code in compliance with Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"). Victory Capital Transfer Agent, Inc., also a Victory Capital affiliate, is the registered transfer agent for USAA Mutual Fund accounts. Victory Capital employees service USAA Mutual Fund direct accounts through a dedicated Contact Center. Victory Capital is not affiliated with United Services Automobile Association ("USAA") or its affiliates.

Victory Capital employees have a responsibility to adhere to the highest ethical principles. Thus, the Code imposes obligations in addition to those required under applicable laws and regulations. The Code is a minimum standard of conduct for employees. If an employee is uncertain as to the intent or purpose of any provision of the Code, he or she should consult Victory Capital's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") or a member of the Compliance team.

Victory Capital recognizes the importance to its employees of being able to manage and develop their own and their dependents' financial resources through long-term investments and strategies. However, because of the potential conflicts of interest inherent in our business and our industry, Victory Capital has implemented certain standards and limitations designed to minimize these conflicts.

Victory Capital's reputation is of paramount importance; therefore, Victory Capital will not tolerate blemishes due to careless personal trading or other conduct prohibited by the Code. Consequently, Material Violations (as defined herein) of the Code may be subject to harsh sanctions. Frequent violations of the Code may result in limitations on personal securities trading or other disciplinary actions, which can include termination of employment.

1Rule 17j-1 requires that fund advisers adopt written codes of ethics and have procedures in place to prevent their personnel from abusing their access to information about the fund's securities trading, and requires "access persons" to submit reports periodically containing information about their personal securities holdings and transactions.

Copyright © 2019, Victory Capital Management Inc.

Page 1 of 20

Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

2. DEFINITIONS

July 1, 2019

"Access Person" means any employee of Victory Capital or anyone deemed an Access Person by the CCO. As a matter of practice, the Board of Directors of the USAA Mutual Funds Trust, Victory Portfolios, Victory Portfolios II and Victory Variable Insurance Funds (collectively the "Victory Funds") generally consists of members who are not employees or officers of Victory Capital, or their affiliates. A director designated as a non-access director is not treated as an "access person" of Victory Capital, within the meaning of Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Advisers Act") and is not treated as either an "access person" or an "advisory person" of Victory Capital.

"Affiliated Funds" means any individual series portfolio of the USAA Mutual Funds Trust, Victory Portfolios, Victory Portfolios II and Victory Variable Insurance Funds, as well as other sub-advised affiliates listed in Appendix 1, each an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.

"Automatic or Periodic Investment Plan" is a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

"Beneficial Interest" means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to profit, or share in any profit derived from, a transaction in the subject Securities. An Access Person is deemed to have a Beneficial Interest in securities owned by members of his or her Immediate Family. Common examples of Beneficial Interest include joint accounts, spousal accounts (including Non-Victory Capital Employee Compensation Programs, Non-Victory Capital Employee Stock Participation Program, and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plan Accounts), Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, partnerships, trusts and controlling interests in corporations. Any uncertainty as to whether an Access Person has a Beneficial Interest in a Security should be brought to the attention of the Compliance Department. Such questions will be resolved in accordance with, and this definition shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with, the definition of "beneficial owner" set forth in Rules 16a-1(a)(2) and (5) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

"Blackout Period" means seven (7) calendar days before and three (3) calendar days after the date a client trade is executed.

"Business Entertainment" includes any social event, hospitality event, charitable event, sporting event, entertainment event, meal, leisure activity or event of like nature or purpose, and any transportation or lodging accompanying or related to such activity or event, including any entertainment activity offered in connection with an educational event or business conference, irrespective of whether any business is conducted during, or is attendant to, such activity.

"Covered Government Official" means a 1) state or local governmental official; 2) candidate for state or local office; or 3) federal candidate currently holding state or local office. A governmental "official" includes an incumbent, candidate, or successful candidate for elective office of a state or local government entity, if the office is directly or indirectly responsible for, or can influence the outcome of, the hiring of an investment adviser, or has authority to appoint any person who is directly or indirectly responsible for, or can influence the outcome of, the hiring of an investment adviser, by a state or a political subdivision of a state.

"De Minimis Security" means a security of an issuer that is a member of the S&P 500 Index, or a security with an equivalent market capitalization and liquidity to a S&P 500 security, as determined by the CCO or his designee, or an exempt ETF (see Appendix 5 – ETFs Eligible for De Minimis Transaction Exemption for more information).

"Exempt Securities" means 1) direct obligations of the U.S. Government; 2) bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper; 3) investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; 4) shares held in money market funds; 5) variable insurance products that invest in funds for which Victory Capital does not act as adviser or sub-adviser; 6) open-end mutual funds for

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which Victory Capital does not act as adviser or sub-adviser; and 7) investments in qualified tuition programs ("529 Plans"). Exempt Securities do not need to be pre-cleared.

"Immediate Family" means all family members who share the same household, including but not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, step-siblings, step- children, step-parents, or in-laws. Immediate Family includes adoptive relationships and any other relationships (whether or not recognized by law) that the CCO determines could lead to conflicts of interest, diversions of corporate opportunity or create the appearance of impropriety.

"Index Access Person" means any employee who is a member of the Solutions Platform team, members of Victory Capital's trading team involved with trading on behalf of the Solutions Platform, employees who have access to trade rebalance information for index-based products or any other person designated as such by the CCO. Index Access Persons are restricted from trading equities during the rebalancing months. Index Access Person's may still trade securities, such as open-ended mutual funds and ETFs for which Victory Capital does not act as adviser or sub-adviser or other types of securities permitted by the CCO during this month.

"Initial Holdings Report" is a report that discloses all securities holdings of every Access Person, which must be submitted to the Compliance Department within ten (10) calendar days of becoming an Access Person.

"Initial Public Offering" or "IPO" means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before such registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

"Managed Accounts" means investment advisory or brokerage accounts over which an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control in the investment decisions or activities.

"Material Non-Public Information" or "MNPI" means information that is both material and non-public that might have an effect on the market for a security. Access Persons who possess MNPI must not act or cause others to act on such information.

"Material Violation" means any violation of this Code or other misconduct deemed material by the CCO, in conjunction with the Compliance Committee or the Victory Capital Board of Directors.

"Maximum Allowable Trades" means Access Persons are limited to 20 trades per calendar quarter across their Personal Accounts2. A trade in the same security in multiple accounts on the same day will count as one trade towards the Maximum Allowable Trades in a quarter.

"MCO" means MyComplianceOffice, which is a web-based compliance system used to track and approve employee personal trading, gifts and entertainment, political contributions, and outside business activities, store policies, and facilitate employee certifications and manage other compliance objectives.

"Personal Account" means an investment account in which an employee retains investment discretion.

"Personal Trading" or "Personal Trades" means trades or transactions by Access Persons in their Personal Accounts.

"Proprietary Fund" is a fund or product in which Victory Capital or its employees have an aggregate of 25% or more Beneficial Interest. See Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Funds & Reportable Funds for more information.

"Portfolio Management Team" means all members of a portfolio management team including all research analysts, research associates, product specialists, and market traders.

2Certain exceptions apply subject to CCO approval.

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"Reportable Fund" means any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act for which Victory Capital is an investment adviser or a sub-adviser, or any registered investment company whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls Victory Capital, is controlled by Victory Capital, or is under common control with Victory Capital. See Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Funds & Reportable Funds for more information.

"Reportable Security" means any security that is not an Exempt Security.

"RIC" means a Regulated Investment Company.

"Short-Sell" or "Short-Selling" means the sale of a security that is not owned by the seller. Access Persons may not take a short position in a security. However, mutual funds or ETFs that correspond to the inverse performance of a broad-based index are not considered to be Short-Sales. For example, buying (long) the ProShares Short S&P500 ETF is permitted. Employees may also trade in funds that track a volatility index. Personal investments in highly concentrated funds made by Portfolio Management Team members may be prohibited if they contradict the client's recommendations. See "Contra-Trading Rule" under Section VII(C): Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions for more information.

"Victory Capital Stock" means securities offered by VCH or any subsidiary through a registration statement that has been declared effective by the SEC (e.g. "VCTR").

3. CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE

Victory Capital's primary objective is to provide value through investment advisory, sub-advisory and other financial services to a wide range of clients, including governments, corporations, financial institutions, high net worth individuals and pension funds.

Victory Capital requires that all dealings on behalf of existing and prospective clients be handled with honesty, integrity and high ethical standards, and that such dealings adhere to the letter and the spirit of applicable laws, regulations and contractual guidelines. As a general matter, Victory Capital is a fiduciary that owes its clients a duty of undivided loyalty, and each employee has a responsibility to act in a manner consistent with this duty. All employees must actively work to avoid the possibility that the advice or services provided to clients is, or gives the appearance of being, based on the self-interests of Victory Capital or its employees and not in the clients' best interests. Violations of the Code must be reported promptly to the CCO.

Employees must act solely in the best interests their clients. Statutory and regulatory requirements impose specific responsibilities governing the behavior of personnel in carrying out their responsibilities to clients. Victory Capital and its employees must comply fully with these rules and regulations. The Legal, Compliance and Risk Department ("LCR Department") personnel are available to assist employees in meeting these requirements.

Since no set of rules can anticipate every possible situation, it is essential that Victory Capital employees and representatives obtain guidance from the CCO or Chief Legal Officer ("CLO") when unsure how to follow these rules in letter and in spirit. It is the responsibility of all employees and representatives to fully understand and comply with the Code and the policies of Victory Capital or seek guidance from the CCO. Technical compliance with the Code and its procedures will not necessarily validate an employee's actions as appropriate. Any activity that compromises Victory Capital's integrity, even if it does not expressly violate a rule, may result in further action from the CCO. In some instances, the CCO holds discretionary authority to apply exceptions under the Code. In the CCO's absence, the CLO may act in his or her place.

Victory Capital's fiduciary responsibilities apply to a broad range of investment and related activities, including sales and marketing, portfolio management, securities trading, allocation of investment opportunities, client service, operations support, performance measurement and reporting, new product development as well

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as personal investing activities. These obligations include the duty to avoid material conflicts of interest (and, if this is not possible, to provide full and fair disclosure to clients in communications), to keep accurate books and records, and to supervise personnel appropriately. These concepts are further described in the sections that follow.

4. POLICY STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING

A. Introduction

Victory Capital seeks to foster a culture of compliance and a reputation for integrity and professionalism. Victory Capital values and endeavors to protect the confidence and trust placed in us by our clients. To further that goal, this Policy Statement implements procedures to deter the misuse of MNPI in securities transactions.

The term "insider trading" is not defined in the federal securities law, but refers generally to the situation when a person trades while aware of MNPI or communicates MNPI to others in breach of a duty of trust or confidence.

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits any of the following:

Trading by an insider, while aware of MNPI;

Trading by a non-insider, while aware of MNPI, where the information was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential; or

Communicating MNPI to others in breach of a duty of trust or confidence.

Trading securities while in possession of MNPI or improperly communicating that information to others may result in stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include fines of up to $5,000,000, twenty years' imprisonment, or both. The civil penalty for a violator may be an amount up to three times the profit (or loss avoided) as a result of the insider trading violation, and a permanent bar from working in the securities industry. Investors may sue and seek to recover damages for insider trading violations.

Regardless of whether a regulatory inquiry occurs, Victory Capital views seriously any violation of this Policy Statement. Such violations constitute grounds for disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal.

B. Scope of the Policy Statement

This Policy Statement is drafted broadly and will be applied and interpreted in a similar manner. It applies to all Access Persons and to transactions in any security participated in by Immediate Family members of Access Persons or trusts or corporations controlled by Access Persons.

Any questions relating to this Policy Statement should be directed to the CCO or his or her designee. You must notify the LCR Department immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Policy Statement has occurred or is about to occur.

C. What is Material Information?

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information relied upon is deemed to be material. "Material" information is defined generally as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities. If the disclosure of that information would be expected to alter the total mix of information that is publicly available about that company, then the information is

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considered material. Any questions about whether information is material should be directed to a member of the LCR Department.

Material information often relates to a company's financial results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earning results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments. Information about a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of the company's securities, all of the company's securities, the securities of another company, or the securities of several companies. Material information does not have to relate to a company's business. For example, in Carpenter v. U.S., the Supreme Court considered as material certain information about the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that was expected to affect the market price of a security. In that case, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal was found criminally liable for disclosing to others the dates that reports on various companies would appear in the Journal and whether those reports would be favorable or not.

D. What is Non-Public Information?

In order for issues concerning insider trading to arise, information must not only be material, it must also be "non-public". Non-public information is information that has not been made available to investors generally. Information received in circumstances indicating that it is not yet in general circulation or where the recipient knows or should know that the information could only have been provided by an "insider" is also deemed non-public information. For non-public information to become public information, it must be disseminated through recognized channels of distribution designed to broadly reach the securities marketplace.

Facts verifying that the information is public (and therefore has become generally available) may include, for example, and without limitation, disclosure in:

National business and financial wire service, such as Dow Jones or Reuters;

National news service or newspaper, such as AP or The Wall Street Journal; or

Publicly disseminated disclosure document, such as a proxy statement or prospectus.

The circulation of rumors or "talk on the street", even if accurate, widespread and reported in the media, does not constitute the requisite public disclosure. In addition, the information must not only be publicly disclosed, there must also be adequate time for the market as a whole to digest the information. Material non-public information is not made public by selective dissemination. Material information improperly disclosed only to institutional investors or to a fund analyst or a favored group of analysts retains its status as "non-public" information that must not be disclosed or otherwise misused.

Partial disclosure does not constitute public dissemination. So long as any material component of the "inside" information has yet to be publicly disclosed, the information is deemed non-public and may not be misused.

E. Identifying Inside Information

Before executing any Personal Trades or trades for client accounts, employees must determine whether they have access to MNPI. If an employee believes that he or she might have access to MNPI, the following steps should be taken:

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the CCO or a member of the LCR Department;

Do not purchase or sell the securities as Personal Trades or for clients without written clearance to do so from the CCO or a member of the LCR Department; and

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Do not communicate the information inside or outside of Victory Capital, other than to the LCR Department and, if necessary, your direct manager.

A member of the Compliance Department will determine whether the information is material and non- public.

F. Contact with Public Companies

Victory Capital's contacts with public companies represent an important part of its research efforts. Victory Capital may make investment decisions on the basis of the firm's conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Legal issues may arise if, in the course of these contacts, an employee becomes aware of MNPI. This could happen, for example, if a company's chief financial officer were to prematurely disclose quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative selectively discloses adverse news to a handful of investors.

G. Tender Offers

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons. First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company's securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC forbids trading and "tipping" while in possession of MNPI regarding the receipt of a tender offer, the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either of these parties. Employees should exercise particular caution any time they become aware of non-public information relating to a tender offer.

H. Protecting Sensitive Information

Employees are responsible for safeguarding all confidential information relating to investment research, fund and client holdings, including analyst research reports, investment meeting discussions or notes, and current fund or client transaction information, regardless whether such information is deemed MNPI. Other types of information (for example, marketing plans, employment issues and shareholder identities) may also be confidential and should not be shared with individuals outside the company unless approved by the CCO or a Victory Capital executive officer.

All Access Persons are expressly prohibited from knowingly spreading any false rumor concerning any company, or any purported market development, that is designed to impact trading in or the price of that company's or any other company's securities, and from engaging in any other type of activity that constitutes illegal market manipulation.

I.Trading in Securities Listed on Exchanges in Other Countries

Trading in securities listed on exchanges in other countries is governed by the laws of that country. Access Persons who are trading in such securities must ensure compliance with applicable law, which in all relevant cases prohibits trading on the basis of MNPI or price-sensitive information, as those terms are defined in the relevant jurisdiction.

J. Public Company Confidential Records

VCH's and Victory Capital's records must always be treated as confidential and must not be disclosed or used for any purpose at any time other than for the normal course of business. Information learned about other entities in a special relationship with VCH, such as acquisition, joint venture and partnership negotiations, is confidential and must not be disclosed without proper authorization.

At all times, Access Persons are prohibited from making any recommendation or expressing any opinion as to trading in Victory Capital Stock

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See VCH's Corporate Communications Policy and Insider Trading Policy for more information.

5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A "conflict of interest" exists when a person's private interests may be contrary to the interests of clients or shareholders of Victory Capital. A conflict may arise if a Victory Capital employee takes actions or has business, financial or other interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her work objectively and effectively.

Conflicts of interest may arise, for example, if a Victory Capital employee or his or her Immediate Family member receives improper personal benefits (for example, personal loans, services, or payment for services) as a result of his or her position at Victory Capital, or gains personal enrichment or benefits through access to confidential information. Conflicts may also arise if a Victory Capital employee or an Immediate Family member holds a financial interest in a company that does business with Victory Capital or has outside business interests that may result in divided loyalties or compromised independent judgment. Conflicts may also arise when making securities investments for Proprietary Funds or Personal Accounts or when determining how to allocate trading opportunities.

Conflicts of interest can arise in many common situations, despite best efforts to avoid them. This Code does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interest. Literal compliance with each of the specific procedures will not shield Access Persons from liability for Personal Trading or other conduct that violates fiduciary duties to Victory Capital clients. Victory Capital employees are encouraged to seek clarification of, and discuss questions about, potential conflicts of interest. Any questions regarding a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest should be directed to a manager, the CCO or a representative of the LCR Department.

The following areas represent many common types of conflicts of interests and the procedures to be followed; however, the list is not intended to be all-inclusive. A summary is provided for each case, but further details can be found in the related Policies and Procedures. For questions relating potential conflicts, please contact a member of the LCR Department.

A. Gifts and Entertainment

Gifts

Giving or receiving gifts or other items of value to or from persons doing business or seeking to do business with Victory Capital could call into question the independence of its judgment as a fiduciary of its clients. Accordingly, it is the policy of Victory Capital to permit such conduct only in accordance with the limitations stated herein.

Victory Capital's policies on gifts and entertainment are derived from industry practices. Employees should be aware that there are various laws and regulations that prohibit firms and their employees from giving anything of value to employees of various financial institutions in connection with attempts to obtain any business transaction with the institution, which is viewed as a form of bribery. If there is any question about the appropriateness of any particular gift, an employee should consult a member of the LCR Department.

Under no circumstances may a gift to Victory Capital or any employee be received as any form of compensation for services provided by Victory Capital or an employee. Gifts of nominal value may be given to or accepted from present or prospective customers, brokers, service providers, suppliers or vendors with whom Victory Capital has a business or potential business relationship. Victory Capital employees are required to promptly report all gifts given in excess of $50 in Victory Capital's expense reporting system (Concur). Any gifts received in excess of $50 must promptly be disclosed in MCO. Gifts from an individual or entity may not exceed $100 in aggregate value in any

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calendar year unless approval is obtained from the employee's direct manager and the LCR Department.

Gifts of up to $100 per person per year may be provided to present or prospective customers, brokers, service providers, suppliers or vendors with whom Victory Capital has a business or potential business relationship.

Additional policies concerning gifts may be applicable depending on the type of customer (e.g., ERISA, foreign, union, government officials, or Covered Government Officials).

Please refer to Victory Capital's Gifts and Entertainment Policy (F-3) for more information.

Entertainment

Employees may sponsor and participate in Reasonable and Customary Business Entertainment. Any Business Entertainment that is not Reasonable and Customary must be approved by the CCO and the employee's manager. You must accompany the persons being entertained for an entertainment activity to qualify as permissible Business Entertainment. All Business Entertainment expenses must be reported promptly in Concur, listing each attendee at the entertainment event. The receipt of Business Entertainment in excess of $50 per occurrence per employee must be disclosed promptly after each occurrence in MCO. If the client, broker, service provider, vendor or supplier is not present, the entertainment is considered a gift.

Additional policies concerning gifts and entertainment may be applicable depending on the type of customer (e.g., ERISA, foreign, union, government officials, or Covered Government Officials).

Please refer to Victory Capital's Gifts and Entertainment Policy (F-3) for more information.

B. Political Contributions

SEC regulations limit political contributions to Covered Government Officials by employees of investment advisory firms and certain affiliated companies. The SEC's "Pay-to-Play" Rule 206(4)-5 (the "Rule") prohibits advisers from receiving any compensation for providing investment advice to a government entity within two years after a contribution has been made by the adviser or one of its covered associates. The two-year time out is triggered by a political contribution to an official of a government entity. The date of the contribution starts the time out.

The Rule permits contributions of up to $350 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is entitled to vote, and up to $150 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is not entitled to vote. Many U.S. cities, states and other government entities have also adopted regulations restricting political contributions by associates of investment management firms seeking to provide services to a governmental entity. While contributions to candidates in federal elections would generally not raise any issues under state or local laws, contributions to state and local officials may not be approved depending on the circumstances. Prior to the commencement of employment, new employees must disclose all political contributions in the past 2 years to Human Resources. During employment, Victory Capital employees must receive approval from the LCR Department through MCO before making personal political contributions at all levels. Political contributions which require pre-approval include, but are not limited to, the following:

Covered Government Officials;

Federal candidate campaigns and affiliated committees;

Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs; and

Non-profit organizations that may engage in political activities, such as 501(c)(4), 501(c)(6) organizations, and 527 organizations

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Note: U.S. national political party donations (e.g. Democratic or Republican) do not require pre- clearance.

Contributions include:

Monetary contributions, gifts or loans;

"In kind" contributions (e.g. donations of goods or services or underwriting or hosting fundraisers);

Contributions to help pay a debt incurred in connection with an election (including transition or inaugural expenses, purchasing tickets to inaugural events);

Contributions to joint fund-raising committees; or

Contributions made by a PAC that is controlled by an Access Person.

See Victory Capital's Political Contributions Policy (F-2) for more information.

C. Outside Business Activities

Prior to commencement of employment with Victory Capital, all Outside Business Activities ("OBAs") must be disclosed to Human Resources. During employment and prior to commencement of any new OBA, employees must fill out and submit an OBA request form in MCO. Employees are responsible for notifying the Compliance Department of any material OBA changes and must review, update and certify quarterly to their OBA activities.

Holding Political Office/Appointments

Victory Capital employees must avoid any political appointment that may conflict with the performance of his or her duties for Victory Capital. Prior written approval must be obtained from the CCO before holding political office and, if approved, must be confirmed annually through the compliance certification process. Employees must expressly remove themselves from discussions and decisions regarding Victory Capital, its products or services when Victory Capital may be a competitor for business related to their appointment.

Outside Employment or Business Activities

Employees may pursue other interests on their own time as long as the activity doesn't reflect negatively on Victory Capital and does not interfere or conflict in any way with Victory Capital or its clients. However, full-time employees of Victory Capital should consider their position to be their primary employment.

All outside business activities must be reported to and pre-approved by both the employee's direct manager and the CCO. Outside employment or business activities may be considered any activity conducted by a Victory Capital employee for another organization or business purpose that is outside the scope of the employee's job function for Victory Capital. This includes, but is not limited to, being an employee, independent contractor, consultant, sole proprietor, officer, director or partner of another organization, or being compensated by, or having the reasonable expectation of compensation from, any other person or organization as a result of any business activity outside the scope of the relationship with Victory Capital. Certain activities are not considered reportable OBAs, including any non-investment related activity that is exclusively charitable, civic, religious or fraternal and is recognized as tax exempt.

Passive investments may be exempted from the reporting and pre-approval requirement. Although passive investments are exempted from the reporting requirements under the Outside Employment or Business Activities section of this Code, they may be subject to the reporting and pre-clearance requirements that fall under the Limited Offerings and Private Placements section of this Code. Any

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questions regarding non-compensated outside employment or business activities and passive investments should be directed to the CCO.

Absent prior approval of the CCO or the Chief Executive Officer, no employee of Victory Capital may serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company or investment company. An employee's or Immediate Family member's service on a for-profit private company's board of directors must also be pre-approved by the employee's direct manager and the CCO or CLO, and reported on the employee's annual Code certification.

All outside employment or business activities must be reported to and pre-approved by both the employee's direct manager and the CCO and reported on the employee's quarterly certification. Employees are prohibited from the commencement of any outside employment or business activities until the CCO's final approval within MCO has occurred.

In addition to these outside employment or business activity procedures, all employees who are registered representatives of VCA must also adhere to related requirements as set forth in VCA's Written Supervisory Procedures Manual.

See Victory Capital's Outside Business Activity Policy (F-4) for more information.

Bequests

A bequest is the act of leaving or giving something of value in a will. The acceptance of a bequest from a client, vendor or business partner may raise questions about the propriety of that relationship. Any potential or actual bequest in excess of $100 made to an employee by a client, vendor, or business partner under a will or trust agreement must be reported to the LCR Department. Such bequests shall be subject to the approval of the employee's manager and CCO.

D. Other Prohibitions on Conduct

In addition to the specific prohibitions detailed elsewhere in the Code, Victory Capital employees are subject to a general requirement not to engage or participate in any act or practice that would defraud Victory Capital clients. This general prohibition includes, among other things:

Making any untrue statement of a material fact or employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client;

Omitting to state a material fact, or failing to provide any information necessary to properly clarify any statements made, in light of the circumstances, thereby creating a materially misleading impression;

Misuse of client confidential information;

Making investment decisions, changing internal research ratings and trading decisions other than exclusively for the benefit and in the best interest of our clients;

Using information about investment or trading decisions or changes in research ratings (whether considered, proposed or made) to benefit or avoid economic injury to an Access Person or anyone other than our clients.

Taking, delaying or failing to take any action with respect to any research recommendation, report or rating or any investment or trading decision for a client in order to avoid economic injury to an Access Person or anyone other than a client;

Purchasing or selling a security on the basis of knowledge of a possible trade by or for a client with the intent of personally profiting from personal holdings in the same or related securities ("front-running" or "scalping");

Revealing to any other person (except in the normal course of an employee's duties on behalf of a client) any information regarding securities transactions by any client or the consideration by any client of any such securities transactions; or

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Engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on a client or engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to any client.

E.Review of Employee Communications

All correspondence related to Victory Capital's business and any client correspondence is subject to review by the LCR Department. Victory Capital is required to maintain original records of employee correspondence that is communicated on approved devices (such as through email). In addition, Victory Capital is required to monitor employee communications and compliance with Victory Capital's conflicts of interest and insider trading policies and procedures. Consequently, Victory Capital reviews or archives all employee communications, including emails and other forms of electronic communication for compliance purposes. Employees are advised that they should have no expectation of privacy regarding personal communications that are sent or received on company- provided or connected electronic devices or communication platforms, such as instant messages or emails.

Employees are prohibited from sending communications regarding Victory Capital business via any personal, non-Victory Capital email account, instant messaging, text or other method that is not captured in our archiving system. Employees may only use Victory Capital's e-mail system, instant messaging system, Bloomberg and other explicitly approved methods for business-related communications. Employees are permitted to communicate on Victory Capital's e-mail system connected through personal mobile devices such as smartphones. See Victory Capital's Corporate Information Protection and Technology Use Policy (A-8) for more information.

6.STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

Every employee has a duty to place the interests of Victory Capital client accounts first and not take advantage of his or her positions at the expense of Victory Capital or its clients.

Victory Capital employees must not mislead or defraud any Victory Capital clients by any statement, act or manipulative practice.

All personal securities transactions must be conducted in a manner to avoid any actual, potential or the appearance of a conflict of interest, or any abuse of an employee's position of trust and responsibility with Victory Capital.

Victory Capital employees may not induce or cause a client to take action, or not to take action, for personal benefit.

Victory Capital employees may not share portfolio holdings information except as permitted under Victory Capital's Disclosures of Portfolio Securities Policy (B-15) for more information.

Every Access Person must notify the CCO or CLO, as soon as reasonably practical, if he or she is arrested, arraigned, indicted or pleads no contest or guilty to any criminal offense (other than minor traffic violations) or if named as a defendant in any investment-related civil proceeding or any administrative or disciplinary action.

7.PERSONAL TRADING, CODE OF ETHICS REPORTING AND CERTIFICATIONS

Personal Trading is a privilege granted by Victory Capital that may be withdrawn at any time. The CCO has complete discretion over all Personal Trading activity and has no obligation to explain any denial or restriction relating thereto. Employees who violate Personal Trading restrictions may be required to disgorge any gains generated (or losses avoided) by Personal Trading. Access Persons must maintain adequate records of all Personal Trading transactions and be prepared to disclose those transactions to the LCR Department.

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A. Employee Investment Accounts

July 1, 2019

Subject to disclosure and pre-clearance requirements, Access Persons may open and maintain Managed Accounts and Personal Accounts with select brokers supported by MCO through direct electronic feeds ("Approved Brokers"). Any accounts held with a broker that is not an Approved Broker must be transferred to an Approved Broker within 90 days of the commencement of employment with Victory Capital.

On a case-by-case basis, the LCR Department may approve certain accounts held with brokers that are not on the Approved Brokers List. The LCR Department must still receive duplicate statements and confirmations directly from the broker for each of these types of accounts.

For a list of Approved Brokers see Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List. For a summary of account disclosure requirements see Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure. For a summary of pre- clearance requirements see Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities.

Managed Accounts

Access Persons may open and maintain Managed Accounts with Approved Brokers. With the exception of IPOs and Limited Offerings, the requirements listed below under Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions do not apply to Managed Accounts. Participation in an IPO or a private placement in a Managed Account still requires prior approval of the CCO or his or her designee.

Managed Accounts require the following:

They must be approved by the LCR Department prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner;

At the end of each quarter, all employees must certify that all Managed Accounts have been disclosed and verify all transactions are correctly reflected in MCO;

The employee must certify and the broker must verify that the account is truly discretionary;

The broker must provide to the Compliance Department duplicate confirmations or an electronic data feed of each transaction in the account;

Access Persons may not exercise any direct or indirect influence or control over the transactions; and

Access Persons must certify quarterly that they had no direct or indirect influence or control over any transactions that occurred in their Managed Accounts.

Failure to adhere to these requirements could lead to disciplinary actions and penalties up to and including termination.

Personal Accounts

Access Persons may open and maintain Personal Accounts with brokers on the Approved Brokers List. All requirements listed below under Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions apply to Personal Accounts.

Personal Accounts require the following:

They must be approved by the LCR Department prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner;

At the end of each quarter, all employees must certify that all Personal Accounts have been disclosed and verify all Personal Trades or transactions are correctly reflected in MCO.

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Access Persons acknowledge and agree that Victory Capital may request and obtain information regarding Personal Accounts from broker-dealers. Victory Capital may use personal information, including name, address and social security numbers, to identify and verify employee accounts.

B. Employee Investment Account Reporting

Investment Account Disclosure

All Personal Accounts and Managed Accounts must be disclosed to and approved by the LCR Department prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner. New Hires may not trade in their existing accounts until they have been disclosed and approved by the LCR Department. By regulation, such disclosure must take place within 10 days of hire. Failure to comply may result in sanctions imposed by the Victory Capital Compliance Committee and/or Board of Directors.

Initial Holdings Report/Annual Holdings Report

No Personal Trading will be authorized before the LCR Department has received a completed Initial Holdings Report as part of the new hire on-boarding process. Any exceptions must be approved by the CCO. The Initial Holdings Report must be submitted to the Compliance Department within ten

(10)calendar days of becoming an Access Person. All Access Persons must submit a similar report annually to the Compliance Department. These reports must include the following information:

The date when the individual became an Access Person (Initial Holdings Report only);

The name of each Personal Account in which any securities are or could be held in the Beneficial Interest of the Access Person, and the name of the broker-dealer or financial institution holding these accounts;

Current holdings in private placements (or non-public offering), including private equity, hedge funds or partnerships; and

Each Reportable Security or Reportable Fund in which the Access Person has a Beneficial Interest, including title, number of shares, and principal amount. Holdings information must be current as of 45 calendar days before the report is submitted.

Quarterly Securities Transaction Report

At the end of each quarter, every Access Person must verify his or her Personal Trades or transactions in Personal Accounts through MCO by submitting a Securities Transaction Report ("STR") no later than 30 calendar days following the end of each calendar quarter (whether or not trades were made). The STR must include:

A description of any transaction in a Reportable Security or Reportable Fund effected during the preceding quarter, such as the date, number of shares, principal amount of securities involved, nature of the transaction (i.e., a buy or a sell), price, and the name of the broker- dealer or financial institution that effected the transaction; and

The name and number for any account established in the preceding quarter, including the name and address of the broker-dealer or financial institution where the account is held and the date it was created.

Certain transactions are exempt from the quarterly reporting requirement. See "Summary of Pre- clearance Requirements" in Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities for more information.

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

C. Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions

Prohibited Securities and Transactions

July 1, 2019

Commodities, currencies (including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum), futures, options, and selling securities short are prohibited in Personal Accounts.

Investments in companies under common control of VCH are also prohibited in Personal Accounts.

Pre-clearance Requirement

Transactions that require pre-clearance are listed in Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities.

For transactions that require preclearance, employees must obtain compliance approval prior to executing the transaction. Approval may only be requested by submitting a Personal Trade Pre- Clearance Request ("PTR") in MCO. Compliance approval expires at the end of the trading day approval was provided (see exception granted to Covered Persons, as defined in VCH's Insider Trading Policy).

In certain circumstances, an approved and executed Personal Trade may need to be broken or profits disgorged (e.g. a Blackout Period triggered by subsequent client trading).

Prohibition on Personal Trades Ahead of Client Pending Orders

Access Persons are prohibited from executing Personal Trades in securities where they are aware of any pending orders in such securities by any Portfolio Management Team that, if executed, would trigger a Blackout Period, create a conflict, or disadvantage a client. Adherence to the above Pre- Clearance Requirement does not provide relief from this prohibition.

Blackout Period

A Personal Trade in the same direction as a client trade during a Blackout Period is prohibited (sells in a Personal Account will be considered in the same direction of any short sells in a client account). For non-Portfolio Management Team employees, non-volitional program trades (e.g., client cash flows, subscriptions, or redemptions) will not trigger a Blackout Period.

Individual Portfolio Management Team members will only be subject to Blackout Periods triggered by client trades made by their Portfolio Management Team and any other Portfolio Management Team that shares the same office space. Individual exceptions may occur, such as when an employee works at a different location from where the client trade was made.

Access Persons who work primarily in the transfer agent Contact Center, servicing USAA Mutual Fund direct accounts, are not subject to the Blackout Period. Such persons are subject to all other provisions of the Code, including account disclosure and pre-clearance requirements.

Index Access Persons

Index Access Persons are restricted from trading equities during the rebalancing months, which generally occur in March and September. Index Access Persons may still trade securities, such as open-ended mutual funds and ETFs for which Victory Capital does not act as adviser or sub-adviser or other types of securities permitted by the CCO during this month.

Short-Term Holding Period

Personal Trading must be for investment purposes rather than for speculation. Therefore, Access Persons may not purchase and sell or sell and purchase any Reportable Securities in a Personal

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

July 1, 2019

Account within sixty (60) calendar days3. Each purchase or sale of the same security has its own 60- day holding period. Excess profits (or losses avoided) as a result of violating this restriction may be subject to disgorgement.

Maximum Allowable Trades

Access Persons are limited to 20 Personal Trades per calendar quarter across their Personal Accounts3. A trade in the same security in multiple accounts on the same day will count as one trade.

De Minimis Trades

Personal Trades in De Minimis Securities (e.g. stocks in the S&P 500 index) require pre-clearance. Personal Trades under $1,000,000 in a De Minimis Security will not be subject to the Blackout Period. De Minimis Securities are subject to all other provisions of the Code.

Contra-Trading Rule

No Portfolio Management Team member may trade a security in their Personal Account in the opposite direction of a security held in any client account that he or she manages for Victory Capital unless he or she receives prior written approval from either the CCO or his or her designee. It is the responsibility of the employee to notify the CCO if he or she intends to make a Personal Trade that is contrary to a client account. Trades related to rebalancing or cash flows are not considered in the contra-trading analysis.

Small Market Capitalization Securities

Victory Capital generally discourages Personal Trading in smaller market capitalization stocks (e.g. less than $1 billion), especially any "microcap stocks", as these securities could lead to a potential conflict of interest if they are also purchased in client accounts. Personal Trading by members of a Portfolio Management Team in common holdings with Victory Capital clients, especially in low volume or low market capitalization stocks, could lead to a potential conflict of interest and therefore may be prohibited.

IPO Rule

No Access Person may directly or indirectly acquire a Beneficial Interest in any securities offered in an IPO or in an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), in a Personal Account or Managed Account, without prior approval of the CCO or his or her designee.

Limited Offerings (Private Placements)

No Access Person may acquire a Beneficial Interest in a private placement without the prior approval of the CCO or his or her designee. Prior approval is required whether investing directly or through a Personal Account or Managed Account. Private placements, such as investment in a private company, investments in a hedge fund or other private investment fund are reportable through the pre-clearance process. Subsequent capital contributions and full or partial redemptions must be pre- cleared through MCO.

Market Timing Mutual Fund Transactions

Access Persons shall not participate in any activity that may be construed as market timing of mutual funds. Specifically, no employee shall engage in excessive trading or market timing activities as described in each prospectus of a Proprietary Fund or Reportable Fund.

3Certain exceptions apply subject to CCO Approval.

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

Trading in Victory Capital Stock

July 1, 2019

Victory Capital Stock (VCTR) is a Reportable Security under the Code and any transaction in VCTR in a Personal Account must be precleared. Victory employees may be eligible for certain benefits related to VCTR, such as participation in the ESPP and grants of stock options or restricted stock. Certain transactions related to these benefits will require pre-clearance. For a summary of pre- clearance requirements for VCTR see Pre-Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock under Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities. If an employee is uncertain whether a transaction requires pre- clearance, they should consult with the CCO or a member of the Compliance Department prior to trading.

VCTR transactions related to the above employee benefits will not trigger the Short-Term Holding Period in a Personal Account. Likewise, VCTR transactions in a Personal Account will not affect an employee's ability to exercise such employee benefits.

Covered Persons, as defined in VCH's Insider Trading Policy, will have 3 business days upon receipt of approval to effect transactions in VCTR.

D. Representation and Warranties

Each time an Access Person submits a PTR, that Access Person shall be deemed to make the following representations and warranties:

They are not in possession of any MNPI for the requested security;

They are not aware of any client trading in the same security during the previous 3 days or in the next 7 days (Blackout Period);

They have not traded the same position in the opposite direction, in the past 60 days (Mandatory Short-Term Holding Period);

For Investment Team members, they are not trading contrary to one of their client accounts (Contra-Trading).

E.Quarterly and Annual Certifications of Compliance

Each Access Person is required to certify quarterly that he or she has disclosed all reportable:

1.Gifts and entertainment;

2.Outside Business Activities;

3.Political activity and contributions;

4.All Personal Trading Accounts, including Managed Accounts; and

5.Personal Trades.

Each Access Person is required to certify annually to the following:

1.They have read, understand and complied with this Code and other related policies;

2.They have read, understand and complied with Victory Capital's Corporate Information

Protection and Technology Use Policy (A-8);

3.They have provided and verified all reportable holdings data; and

4.They have answered all additional questions and disclosures within Victory Capital's Annual Code of Ethics Certification in an accurate and truthful manner.

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

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F. Review Procedures

The LCR Department will maintain review procedures consistent with this Code.

G. Recordkeeping

All Code of Ethics records will be maintained pursuant to the provisions of Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company. See Victory Capital's Books and Records Policy (M-13) for more information.

H. Whistleblower Provisions

If an Access Person believes that there has been a violation of this Code, he or she must promptly notify the CCO or CLO or report anonymously to the Victory Capital Ethics telephone hotline at 800- 584-9055. Access Persons are protected from retaliation for reporting violations of this Code. Retaliation or the threat of retaliation against an Access Person for reporting a violation constitutes a further violation of this Code and may lead to immediate suspension and further sanctions. See Victory Capital's Whistleblower and Reporting Suspicious Activity Policy (F-8) for more information.

Victory Capital is also responsible for communicating the Affiliated Funds' whistleblower procedures to our employees. The Affiliated Funds have implemented procedures for receiving anonymous reports of suspected or actual violations of Affiliated Funds' policies and questionable accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters. Call 866-844-3863 to initiate a report regarding an Affiliated Fund.

I.Confidentiality

All information obtained from any employee shall be kept in strict confidence, except when requested by the SEC or any other regulatory or self-regulatory organization, and may otherwise be disclosed to the extent required by law or regulation. Additionally, certain information may be provided to a broker-dealer, service provider or vendor, such as employee name, social security number and home address, in order to ascertain Personal Trading activity that is required to be disclosed by an Access Person.

J. Reporting to the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds

At least annually, Victory Capital will provide the Board of Directors of Affiliated Funds with information regarding: 1) any Material Violations under this Code and any sanctions imposed as a response to such Material Violation; and 2) certification that Victory Capital has adopted procedures necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code.

8. CODE OF ETHICS VIOLATION GUIDELINES

Each Access Person is responsible for conducting his or her activities in accordance with this Code. Violations of the Code may result in applicable sanctions.

Sanctions may correlate to the severity of the violation and may take into consideration, among other things, such factors as the frequency and severity of any prior violations. The CCO may recommend escalation to the Victory Capital Board of Directors and Compliance Committee. When necessary, the Victory Capital Board of Directors may obtain input from the Compliance Committee and the CCO when determining whether such violation is a Material Violation.

The CCO holds discretionary authority to revoke Personal Trading privileges for any length of time and also reserves the right to lift Personal Trading sanctions in response to market conditions. Additionally, the CCO

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

July 1, 2019

or Compliance Committee may impose a monetary penalty for any violation. The CCO will report all warnings, violations and sanctions to the Compliance Committee.

Minor Violations

Provided incorrect or incomplete account or trading information

Engaging in a pattern of discouraged or excessive trading

Trading without pre-clearance approval when trade would have normally been approved and additional violations did not occur

Failure to submit a complete or timely initial or annual holdings or securities transactions report

Failure to provide the Compliance Department a duplicate confirmation in a timely manner after request or notice by the Compliance Department

Failure to pre-clear properly an outside business activity prior to commencement of such activity

Failure to complete a quarterly or annual certification by due date

Failure to pre-clear an investment in a private placement that would have been approved

Technical Violations

Any pattern of a Minor Violation within a 12-month period may qualify as a Technical Violation

Failure to report a Personal Account

Trading without pre-clearance approval when trade would not have been approved

Trading without pre-clearance or supplied incorrect information, which may have resulted in additional violations

Failure to pre-clear any activity that would have been denied by the Compliance Department

Any willful violations of the Code, as determined by the CCO, to be more severe than a Minor Violation

Repeat Technical Violations

Any Technical Violation that is repeated at least two

(2) times during a 12-month period

Material Violations / Fraudulent Actions

Potential Actions

LCR Department may question employee and document response

1st violation within a 12-month period may result in a warning letter

CCO and Compliance Committee will be notified of all warnings and citations given to employees

Employee may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade

Any additional actions the CCO or LCR Department deem appropriate under the circumstances

Potential Actions

LCR Department may question employee and document response

LCR Department may issue a warning letter

Compliance Committee is notified

Human Resources will be notified

Employee may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade – any such profits will be collected by Victory Capital and donated to charity

Temporary ban from Personal Trading for no less than 30 calendar days

A fine may be imposed, as determined by the CCO on a case-by-case basis

Any other actions deemed appropriate by the CCO or the LCR Department

Potential Actions

CCO may meet with employee's direct manager to discuss violation

Human Resources will be notified

Employee may be required to break a trade or disgorge profits from the trade – any such profits will be collected by Victory Capital and donated to charity

Three (3) or more technical violations within a 12- month period may receive a citation letter, monetary fine and loss of Personal Trading privileges for no less than 90 calendar days

Any other actions deemed appropriate by the CCO or the LCR Department

Potential Actions

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

Any Material Violation

July 1, 2019

Compliance Committee will review and recommend sanctions and penalties up to and including termination of employment

The Board of Directors and, when applicable, clients will be notified

Possible criminal sanctions imposed by regulatory authorities

A fine of $10,000 may be imposed by the Board of Directors

Any other actions deemed appropriate by the CCO, Compliance Committee or the Board of Directors

The Code of Ethics Violation Guidelines provides examples of potential Code violations and the actions that Victory Capital might take if employees are in violation of the Code; it is not intended to serve as an exhaustive list of potential Code violations or actions relating thereto. All findings of Code violations and any actions relating thereto will be made on a case-by-case basis. The CCO has discretion to interpret violations and impose various sanctions in response to such violations as deemed necessary.

Reconsideration

If an Access Person wishes to dispute a violation notice, he or she may submit a written explanation of the circumstances of the violation to the CCO. The CCO (and the CLO if escalation is deemed necessary) will review submissions on a case by case basis. The CCO and CLO are under no obligation to change any sanction that has been imposed.

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July 1, 2019

Appendix 1 – Affiliated Funds, Proprietary Funds & Reportable Funds

As described in this Code, certain restrictions apply to trading in an Affiliated Fund, a Proprietary Fund and any fund sub-advised by Victory Capital. Please refer to the company's intranet site "Under the wing" for a complete list or follow one of the links below.

Affiliated Funds

For the most up-to-date list of Affiliated Victory Funds, please visit www.vcm.com.

Proprietary Funds

Pre-clearance is required before trading in one of the following Proprietary Funds, which is a fund or product in which Victory Capital or its employees have an aggregate of 25% or more Beneficial Interest:

Victory Munder Small Cap Growth Fund (MASCX, MYSGX), managed by Munder Capital Management

Victory Munder Small Cap/Mid-Cap Blend (strategy), managed by Munder Capital Management

Victory Trivalent Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund (MAEMX, MYEMX), managed by Trivalent Investments

Sub-Advised Funds

Victory Capital acts as sub-adviser to a number of unaffiliated registered investment companies (mutual funds). Please refer to Victory Capital Management Inc.'s ADV filed with the SEC by searching for the firm name on https://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov .  ADV Part 1 contains SECTION 5.G.(3), which lists "Advisers to Registered Investment Companies and Business Development Companies". The name of the fund complex can be obtained by searching for the SEC File Number (under More Options) using EDGAR: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html .  A complete list is also available on the company's intranet site "Under the wing" under the compliance tab.

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Appendix 2 – Approved Brokers List

1.Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans

2.Ameriprise Financial Services

3.Charles Schwab

4.E*TRADE

5.Edward Jones

6.Fidelity Investments

7.Interactive Brokers

8.JP Morgan Chase

9.Merrill Lynch

10.Morgan Stanley

11.Northern Trust

12.Raymond James

13.RBC

14.Scottrade

15.TD Ameritrade

16.UBS

17.USAA Brokerage

18.Vanguard

19.Wells Fargo

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Appendix 3 – Investment Account Disclosure

New Hires may not trade in their existing accounts until they have been disclosed and approved by the LCR Department. By regulation, such disclosure must take place within 10 days of hire. All new Personal Accounts and Managed Accounts must be reported to the LCR Department prior to trading or on the next quarterly certification, whichever is sooner. Failure to comply may result in sanctions imposed by the Victory Capital Compliance Committee and/or Board of Directors.

The below chart summarizes certain account types and their disclosure requirements. If an employee has a beneficial interest in any account identified below, they must follow the disclosure requirements. If an employee is uncertain whether an account should be disclosed or if they have a beneficial interest in an account not listed below, he or she should consult with the CCO or a member of the Compliance team.

Account Type

 Initial  Disclosure

Periodic Verification

 

 

 

All Personal Accounts

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Affiliated Fund Direct Accounts

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

401(k) if able to hold Reportable Securities

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Security Lending Accounts

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Margin Accounts

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Investment Club Accounts

Yes

Yes

 

 

 

Private Placements

Yes

No

 

 

 

Unaffliated Open-end Mutual Fund Direct Accounts

No

No

 

 

 

Retirement accounts if unable to hold Reportable Securities

No

No

 

 

 

529 Plans

No

No

 

 

 

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Victory Capital Management Inc. Code of Ethics

Appendix 4 – Reportable Securities

July 1, 2019

Personal Accounts generally require employees to pre-clear transactions by submitting PTRs through MCO. See Section VI: Personal Trading Requirements and Restrictions for more information.

Summary of Pre-clearance and Reporting Requirements

The below chart summarizes the pre-clearance and reporting requirements of certain security types. If an employee is uncertain whether a transaction requires pre-clearance, he or she should consult with the CCO or a member of the Compliance team. For Victory Capital Stock, please refer to the Summary of Pre- Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock provided in this Appendix.

Prohibited in Personal Accounts

Commodities

Futures

Options

Currencies, including digital currencies (e.g. Bitcoin)

Selling Securities Short

Companies under common control with VCH

Pre-clear in Managed Accounts and Personal Accounts

Initial Public Offerings (IPO)

Private placements

Pre-clear in Personal Accounts

Equities

Corporate, High-Yield, Convertible, International, and Municipal Bonds

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including Victory Capital ETFs

Exchange-traded notes (ETNs)

Closed-end funds

Mortgage-Backed Securities

Agency Securities (e.g. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac etc.)

Trust preferred & traditional preferred securities

Any securities that are gifted or donated by an Access Person

Unit investment trusts

Victory Proprietary Funds (MASCX, MYSGX, MAEMX, MYEMX)

Victory Capital 401(k) transactions greater than $100,000 in a Proprietary Fund

Reportable ONLY (pre-clearance NOT required)

Approved automatic or periodic investment plans

Corporate action transactions (e.g., stock splits, rights offerings, mergers and acquisitions)

Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs) or dividend transactions

Victory or USAA Mutual Funds, unless it's a Proprietary Fund

Security lending transactions

Variable insurance products only where Victory Capital serves as adviser or sub-adviser

Exempt Securities not subject to the Code

Direct obligations of the U.S. government

Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit and commercial paper

Investment grade, short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements

Money market funds

Variable insurance products unless Victory Capital acts as adviser or sub-adviser

Unaffiliated open-end mutual funds

Investments in qualified tuition programs ("529 Plans"), including the USAA College Savings Plan

Physical commodity contracts

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July 1, 2019

Summary of Pre-Clearance Requirements for Victory Capital Stock (ticker "VCTR")

 

VCTR Transaction Description

 

Pre-Clear

 

Common Stock (Class A Shares)

 

 

 

Employee purchase or sale in any Personal Account (e.g. a brokerage account for the benefit

 

Yes

 

of the employee or for the benefit of the employee's Immediate Family)

 

 

 

 

 

Employee purchase or sale in a Managed Account approved by Compliance.

 

No

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

 

 

 

Purchases made pursuant to Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

No

 

Sales of shares acquired through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

Yes

 

Options

 

 

 

Sale of shares in the open market acquired through the exercise of any options

 

Yes

 

Same Day Sale Exercise - Sale of all shares in the open market to cover the cost of the

 

Yes

 

exercise. Remaining proceeds go to the Employee.

 

 

 

 

 

Sell To Cover Exercise - Sell enough shares in the open market to cover the cost of the

 

Yes

 

exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Exercise - Employee pays the entire cost of the exercise.

 

No

 

Withhold Shares - Victory Capital withholds shares equal to the cost of the exercise.

 

No

 

Restricted Stock (Class B Shares)

 

 

 

Selling restricted stock in the open market

 

Yes

 

Sell-to-cover - Sale of restricted stock in open market to cover vested shares tax liability

 

Yes

 

Cash - Cash payment to cover vested shares tax liability

 

No

 

Net - Surrender shares to Victory Capital to cover vested shares tax liability

 

No

 

10b5-1 Trading Plan

 

 

 

Officers of VCH required to make filings under Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange

 

 

 

Act of 1934, as amended, conducting trades in accordance with an approved 10b5-1 Trading

 

No

 

Plan.

 

 

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July 1, 2019

Appendix 5 – ETFs Eligible for De Minimis Transaction Exemption

Trades in the following ETFs shall be considered De Minimis Trades due to their use as highly liquid cash management vehicles in various Victory Capital accounts.

Name

Symbol

CUSIP

iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF

IEF

464287440

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF

TLT

464287432

iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

IEFA

46432F842

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

IEMG

46434G103

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

IVV

464287200

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

AGG

464287226

iShares FTSE China 25 Index

FXI

464287184

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond

HYG

464288513

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

LQD

464287242

iShares MSCI ACWI Index Fund

ACWI

464288257

iShares MSCI China Index Fund

MCHI

46429B671

iShares MSCI Emerging Index Fund ETF

EEM

464287234

iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund ETF

EFA

464287465

iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund ETF

EWJ

464286848

iShares MSCI India

INDA

46429B598

iShares Russell 1000

IWF

464287614

iShares Russell 2000 ETF

IWM

464287655

iShares Russell 2000 Value

IWN

464287630

iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value

IWS

464287473

SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF

JNK

78468R622

SPDR S&P 500 ETF

SPY

78462F103

SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF

MDY

78467Y107

Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF

VEU

922042775

Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF

VEA

921943858

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

VWO

922042858

Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF

VGK

922042874

Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

VMBS

92206C771

Vanguard Real Estate ETF

VNQ

922908553

Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF

BSV

921937827

Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

VCSH

92206C409

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

VOO

922908363

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF

BND

921937835

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

VXUS

921909768

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

VTI

922908769

Copyright © 2019, Victory Capital Management Inc.

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July 1, 2019

Supplement 1 -

RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited

Code of Ethics Supplement ("Hong Kong Supplement")

The following policies and procedures are in addition to, and supersede where relevant, the policies and procedures detailed in the Code.

I.COMPLIANCE General

Compliance with all regulatory requirements is of the utmost importance to RS Investments (Hong Kong) Limited ("RSHK"). All staff members of RSHK should read and understand the content of the Code and Victory Capital's Compliance Manual (the "Compliance Manual"), and each staff member should also read and understand the content of the Code of Conduct for Persons Licensed by or Registered with the Securities and Futures Commission (the "Code of Conduct") and the Fund Manager Code of Conduct (the "FMCC") issued by the Securities and Futures Commission (the "SFC") where such staff member is licensed by the SFC. RSHK should at all times have at least one designated Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer and the responsible officers who are ultimately responsible for seeking to ensure compliance by RSHK with all applicable regulatory requirements on a daily basis are identified in the RSHK Compliance Manual.

In addition, it is also the duty of all staff members of RSHK to comply with the contents of the Code and the Compliance Manual, and to observe all other regulatory requirements as applicable to them from time to time, in all their activities on behalf of RSHK. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.

II.PROHIBITED CONDUCT General

Every director, manager or any other person involved in the management of RSHK has a statutory obligation to take all reasonable measures from time to time to seek to ensure that proper safeguards exist to prevent RSHK from acting in a way which would result in RSHK perpetrating any market misconduct under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (the "SFO").

Market Misconduct

"Market misconduct" under the SFO means:

1.Insider dealing

2.False trading

3.Price rigging

4.Disclosure of information about prohibited transactions

5.Disclosure of false or misleading information inducing transactions stock market manipulation; and

6.Includes attempting to engage in, or assisting, counseling or procuring another person to engage in any of the above activities

Insider Dealing

See Section IV – Policy Statement on Insider Trading for more information.

False Trading

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False trading attracts civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, false trading occurs when a person, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, engages in conduct intending that, or being reckless as to whether, it creates, or is likely to create, a false or misleading appearance of active trading in securities or futures contracts traded on a Hong Kong or overseas market. An on-market "wash sale" or "matched order" is presumed to create a false or misleading appearance of active trading.

Price Rigging

Price rigging attracts civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, price rigging occurs where a person, in Hong Kong or elsewhere engages, directly or indirectly, in:

1.A wash sale which maintains, increases, reduces, stabilizes or causes fluctuations in, the price of securities traded on a Hong Kong market; or

2.Any fictitious or artificial transaction or device, intending that, or being reckless as to whether, it maintains, increases, reduces, stabilizes or causes fluctuations in, the price of securities, or the price for dealing in futures contracts, traded on a Hong Kong market.

There will also be a breach where such activity is carried out in Hong Kong which affects shares and futures contracts that are traded on an overseas market.

Disclosure of Prohibited Transactions and Disclosure of False and Misleading Information

Disclosure of prohibited transactions and disclosure of false and misleading information inducing transactions attract civil and criminal liabilities. In brief, these occur when a person discloses, circulates or disseminates information:

1.To the effect that the price of securities of a corporation, or the price for dealings in futures contracts, will be maintained, reduced or stabilized because of a prohibited transaction; or

2.That is likely to induce a transaction in securities or futures contracts if the information is false or misleading.

Stock Market Manipulation

Stock market manipulation attracts civil and criminal liabilities under the laws of Hong Kong. It is prohibited when, in Hong Kong or elsewhere, a person enters into, directly or indirectly, two or more transactions in securities that by themselves or in conjunction with any other transaction increase reduce, maintain or stabilize the price of securities and with the effect of influencing the investment decisions of other persons.

Other Offenses

All Victory Capital employees, including the employees of RSHK, are prohibited from engaging in the Short- Selling of any securities, including "naked" or "uncovered," Short-Selling on the SEHK. It is a criminal offence under the SFO for a person to sell securities at or through the SEHK unless at the time of the sale he (or his client, if he acts as an agent) has a presently exercisable and unconditional right to vest the securities in the purchaser of them, or believes and has reasonable grounds to believe that he (or his client, as the case may be) has such a right.

RSHK should also note that section 171 of the SFO imposes a duty to report Short-Selling transactions (which are covered) on both the seller (as a principal, whether he is a client or an intermediary) and the intermediary (as an agent). RSHK must also observe the Securities and Futures (Short-Selling and Securities Borrowing and Lending (Miscellaneous) Rules) and the SFC's "Guidance Note on Short-Selling Reporting and Stock Lending Record Keeping Requirements" as applicable.

RSHK and the employees of RSHK shall not make any unsolicited call (unless specifically allowed under s174 of the SFO or under the Securities and Futures (Unsolicited Calls – Exclusion) Rules in order to induce

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or attempt to induce another person to sell or purchase securities, futures contract or leveraged foreign exchange contract.

Other criminal offences under the SFO include:

1.Offence involving fraudulent or deceptive devices etc. in transactions in securities, futures contracts or leveraged foreign exchange trading;

2.Offence of disclosing false or misleading information inducing others to enter into leveraged foreign exchange contracts; and

3.Offence of falsely representing dealings in futures contracts on behalf of others, etc.

Other Misconduct

Prohibition on Shadowing

An employee is prohibited from replicating deliberately what the clients of RSHK trade for the purpose of making speculative profits or avoiding losses.

Prohibition on Churning or Twisting

RSHK is not permitted to generate high commission income by putting excessive orders through the client accounts.

Prohibition on Rat Trading

An employee is prohibited from rat trading, which covers deliberate trading to the disadvantage of the client. For example, a fund manager might execute a buy order and delay allocating it to the funds or accounts it manages. If the price moves up, he may allocate it to his own account or to a nominee account at the lower execution price. On the other hand, he may delay executing the order and, if the price moves down, buy it at the lower price for himself or herself and sell it to the fund or accounts that it manages.

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Supplement 2 -

RS Investment Management (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. ("RSIMS")

Code of Ethics Supplement ("Singapore Supplement")

The policies and procedures in this Singapore Supplement to the Code apply to Access Persons of RSIMS and are in addition to, and supplement, the policies and procedures detailed in the Code.

Matters set out in the relevant sections of this Singapore Supplement shall be read in conjunction, and as one, with the Code. To the extent there is any inconsistency between the Code and this Singapore Supplement, this Singapore Supplement shall prevail.

Short-Selling of Securities

All Victory Capital employees, including employees of RSIMS, are prohibited from Short-Selling any security.

Trading on Inside Information

In addition to the requirements set out in the Code, all employees of RSIMS and all members of their Immediate Family are required to comply with all applicable laws in Singapore in relation to any Securities Transactions. Such laws include but are not limited to Part XII (Market Conduct) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289 of Singapore) ("SFA") which set out prohibitions against the following conduct:

False trading and market rigging transactions;

Securities market manipulation and manipulation of prices of futures contracts and cornering;

The making of false or misleading statements or the dissemination of information that is false or misleading;

Fraudulently inducing persons to deal in securities or trade in futures contracts;

Employment of fraudulent or deceptive devices, or manipulative and deceptive devices;

Bucketing; and

Insider trading and tipping off.

Reporting Requirements

In addition to the Personal Account and Personal Trading requirements and restrictions set out in the Code, each employee of RSIMS who acts as a representative of RSIMS in RSIMS' capacity as the holder of a capital markets services license issued pursuant to the SFA for fund management (each a "Relevant Access Person") is required to maintain a register of his or her interests in securities (as such term is defined in section 2(1) of the SFA, the relevant extract of which is set out in the Appendix) that are listed for quotation, or quoted, on a securities exchange or recognized market operator in the prescribed  Form 15 to the Securities and  Futures (Licensing and Conduct of Business) Regulations (Rg 10).

Within 7 days after the date he or she acquires the interest in the relevant securities, each Relevant Access Person shall be required to enter into his or her register:

1.Particulars of securities in which such Relevant Access Person has any interest; and

2.Particulars of such interests.

Where there is any change in any interest in the securities of such Relevant Access Person, he or she shall enter particulars of the change (including the date of the change and the circumstances by reason of which the change has occurred), within 7 days after the date of the change.

All entries in the register must be kept in an easily accessible form for a period of not less than 5 years after the date on which such entry was first made. The register shall:

1. If in physical form, be kept at RSIMS's principal place of business in Singapore; or

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2.If in electronic form, be kept in such manner so as to ensure that full access to the register may be gained by the Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS") at RSIMS's principal place of business in

Singapore.

RSIMS is required to maintain records of the place at which the Relevant Access Persons keep their respective registers and the places at which copies of those registers are kept in Singapore. As a separate matter, RSIMS is also required to maintain a Form 15 in relation to RSIMS' own interests in the relevant Securities.

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Code of Ethics

In accordance with Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and with Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. ("Westfield") has developed and implemented this Code of Ethics (the "Code") to set forth standards for business conduct and personal activities. The Code serves many purposes. Among them are to:

educate employees of Westfield's expectations and the laws governing their conduct;

remind employees that they are in a position of trust and must act with complete propriety at all times;

protect the reputation of Westfield;

guard against violations of securities laws;

protect Westfield's clients by deterring misconduct; and

establish procedures for employees to follow so Westfield can assess whether employees are complying with our ethical principles.

Key terms used throughout this Code are defined in Appendix A.

Persons Covered by the Code

All permanent Westfield employees are covered under the Code. All employees are deemed an "Access Person". Compliance will deem an Access Person also as an "Investment Person" if the person makes or participates in making investment recommendations for client accounts. Investment Persons may be required to provide additional information for certain personal activities and may be subject to additional transactional restrictions than non-Investment Persons. At any time, employees may check their status by contacting Compliance.

Temporary employees may be subject to either all or certain provisions within the Code. Compliance may also deem a temporary employee an Access Person.

Waivers to Code

The Chief Compliance Officer (the "CCO") and the Compliance Officer (the "CO") have the authority to grant written waivers of the provisions of this Code in appropriate instances. However, Westfield expects that waivers will be granted only in rare instances. Compliance will document any waivers granted. No waivers shall be granted on any provisions of the Code that are mandated by the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

Ethical Principles

As a fiduciary for its clients, Westfield owes its clients the utmost duty of loyalty, good faith, and fair dealing. As an employee of Westfield, you are obligated to uphold these important duties. Westfield expects every employee to uphold these principles when acting on behalf of the firm or in any capacity that may affect the firm's advisory business.

Employees must act with honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all aspects of our business.

Employees are to place the interests of Westfield's clients first, at all times.

Employees must not take advantage of their positions or of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available for Westfield's clients.

Employees must treat all information concerning clients (e.g., trading, holdings, investment recommendations, and financial situations) confidential.

Employees must exercise independent, unbiased judgment in the investment decision-making process.

Standards of Business Conduct

The following standards govern all conduct, whether or not the conduct is covered by more specific provisions in the Code or other Westfield policies.

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Employees must comply with applicable federal securities laws.

Employees must not:

Defraud any Westfield client in any manner;

Mislead any client, including making a statement that omits material facts or passing along information that is baseless or suspected to be untrue;

Engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any client (e.g., creating the false appearance of active trading in client accounts);

Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to any client; or

Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price or market manipulation. This includes rumor mongering, which is illegal and can lead to allegations of market manipulation.

Employees are prohibited from inappropriately favoring the interests of one client over another as it would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty.

Employees must not use for their own direct or indirect benefit (or the benefit of anyone other than

Westfield's clients) information about: (a)Westfield's trading or investment recommendations for client accounts, (b) our relationships with our clients, or (c) our relationships with the brokerage community. Personal securities transactions must be conducted in accordance with applicable provisions in the Code.

Employees must comply with the spirit and letter of the Code and other internal policies. Technical compliance with the requirements in the Code or other policies does not insulate you from scrutiny for any actions that can create the appearance of a violation or the appearance that you are circumventing the rules.

Employees must avoid any actual or potential conflicts of interest with Westfield's clients. Employees will be required to complete certifications or questionnaires on such matters. It is the employee's responsibility to promptly notify Compliance of any changes to their responses.

Employees must ensure that any personal activities (e.g., personal trading) conducted during work hours do not interfere (or appears to interfere) with their daily work.

Employees must disclose any family members who have senior level positions at public or private companies.

Employees must not accept from or give to clients or other business contacts any gifts or business entertainment that would present an actual or potential conflict of interest, or would be viewed as improper. (See Westfield's policy on Gifts and Business Entertainment)

Employees may not recommend, implement, or consider any securities transaction for client accounts without having disclosed any material business or personal relationship (e.g., family member is a senior employee) with or beneficial ownership or other material interest in the issuer or its affiliates, to Compliance. If Compliance deems the disclosed interest to present a material conflict, the employee may not participate in any decision-making process regarding that issuer.

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Employees must act in the best interest of Westfield's clients regarding execution and other costs paid by clients for brokerage services. This includes disclosing to Compliance any personal investment in any business or personal (e.g., family member) relationship with brokers utilized by Westfield for client transactions or research services. All employees must strictly adhere to Westfield's policies and procedures regarding brokerage services, including those on best execution, research services, and directed brokerage.

Employees must disclose to Compliance any personal investments or other interests in third party service providers if the employees negotiate or make decisions on behalf of the firm with such third party service providers. If any employee has such an interest, Compliance may prohibit the person from negotiating or making decisions regarding Westfield's business with those companies.

Employees are prohibited from making referrals to clients (e.g., attorneys, accountants) if the employee will benefit in any way.

Reporting Unethical or Illegal Behavior

If at any time an employee has knowledge of any behavior that might be viewed as unethical, illegal or in violation of internal policies, the employee must report such behavior immediately.

How to Report. To promote employee reporting, while protecting the employee and maintaining their identity in confidence, Westfield offers different methods for reporting.

Contact the CCO and/or CO

Employees may report actual or suspected violations by contacting the CCO and/or the CO directly (or the Chief Executive Officer if the suspected violation is by the CCO). Employees are not required to report such matters to their managers before contacting the CCO and/or CO.

Report through Schwab Compliance Technologies

Reports can be submitted through Schwab Compliance Technologies (https://client.schwabct.com) by clicking on Confidential Reporting Form (Whistleblower). Such reports are accessible by the CCO only. All reports are anonymous.

What to Report. Employees should report any: a) noncompliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, or internal policies such as the Code; b) fraud or illegal acts involving any aspect of the firm's business; c) material misstatements in regulatory filings, internal books and records, client records or reports, and financial statements; d) activity that is harmful to clients; and e) material deviations from required controls and procedures that safeguard clients and the firm.

Usage of Information Provided. The CCO will take the steps deemed necessary under the circumstances to investigate relevant facts surrounding the information provided, and to take any appropriate corrective measures. Reporting employees typically will not be notified of any actions the firm is taking in response to their comments.

Guidance. Employees are encouraged to seek guidance from the CCO and/or the CO with respect to any violation and to refrain from any action or transaction that might lead to the appearance of a violation.

Confidentiality. Any report created shall be treated confidentially. Best efforts will be used to ensure that specific details of the report cannot be used to identify the reporting employee.

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Retaliation. No employee who in good faith reports a suspected unethical or illegal business practice will be subject to retaliation or discipline for having done so, even if such reports ultimately establish that no violation had occurred.

SEC Whistleblower Program

Westfield encourages employees to report unethical or illegal behavior to the firm first, but employees also have an option of directly reporting actual or suspected violations to the SEC's Whistleblower Office. The SEC offers awards and incentives to individuals who voluntarily provide original information that leads to a successful enforcement. There are very specific criteria and procedures that apply when making such a report to the SEC. Regardless of the employee's reporting method, Westfield will utilize the framework described directly above with regards to reported information.

The SEC encourages individuals to submit information in writing by filling out their questionnaire at https://denebleo.sec.gov/TCRExternal/disclaimer.xhtml .  Alternatively, you may submit information by mail to the Office of the Whistleblower at 100 F Street, NE, Mail Stop 5971, Washington, D.C. 20549 or by fax to (703) 813-9322.

Employees have the option to directly report actual or suspected violations to the SEC during and after their employment with Westfield.

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Personal Trading

(All references to Access Persons in this section include family members.)

Preclearance Requirement

Access Persons must obtain approval from Compliance prior to entering into any personal securities transactions in a Covered Security for a Covered Account, as defined in Appendix A. Written approval must be received prior to executing any personal security transaction.

With limited exceptions, approvals are valid until 4:00pm on the day they were granted. Approvals for certain transactions (e.g., private offering of securities) may be extended with the CCO's or the CO's permission. In such instances, the approval is valid until either the transaction is executed or revoked by Compliance. Access Persons are responsible for notifying Compliance when the transaction has been either completed or cancelled.

Because Westfield primarily supervises domestic growth equities, certain transactions and securities pose minimal conflicts with our clients. As such, the following securities also are exempt from the preclearance requirement. (Reporting requirements still apply). If a security or transaction is not listed directly below or excluded from the Covered Security definition in Appendix A, then it must be precleared.

ETFs and ETNs that are not short the market, a sector, industry, etc.

Closed-end mutual funds

Gifting or transferring shares from one account to another

Municipal bonds

Submitting Preclearance Requests

Preclearance requests for securities transactions should be submitted through the online personal transactions system, Schwab Compliance Technologies (the "personal trading system"). Compliance will set up each Access Person in the system and provide training. It is important that Access Persons not share their passwords with anyone as they are responsible for the information created, modified, and deleted from the system under their login information.

Should an Access Person wish to make a personal security transaction but does not have access to the system, the person must contact a senior member of Compliance for preclearance of the transaction. Compliance will enter the transaction into the system, which will send an approval or denial, via email, to the requestor. It is the Access Person's responsibility to ensure that the trade information contained in the email confirmation is complete and accurate (i.e., transaction type, shares requested, brokerage account, and security name) prior to entering into the transaction.

Private Offerings

Any requests to enter into private offerings of securities must be first discussed with a senior member of Compliance. At a minimum, Compliance will request a copy of the offering documents, if applicable and available, in order to obtain the security/issuer name, investment amount, and target investment date. If the transaction is approved, Compliance will set up the security in the personal trading system, and the employee may then submit the preclearance request. Access Persons must receive a written approval (either from the personal trading system or email from Compliance) before entering into the transaction.

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Reviewing Preclearance Requests

Preclearance requests are not reviewed until after 9:30am. Preclearance requests submitted prior to 9:30am will be placed in pending status. Preclearance requests that go into pending after 3:00pm will be reviewed on a best efforts basis. If a response is not received by 4:00pm, Access Persons are not permitted to enter into the trade and must re-enter the preclearance request the following day.

Compliance has full authority to:

revoke a preclearance any time after it is granted;

require an Access Person to close out or reverse a transaction; and

not provide an explanation for a preclearance denial or revocation, especially when the reasons are confidential in nature.

Restrictions to Personal Securities Transactions

The following restrictions and limitations have been placed on personal securities transactions to address actual or possible conflicts arising from personal trading activities.

Material, Non-public Information. Access Persons who possess or have been made aware of material, non-public information regarding a security, or the issuer of a security may not engage in any transaction of such security or related security. (See Westfield's policy on Insider Trading.)

Market Manipulation. Access Persons may not engage in any transactions intended to raise, lower, or maintain the price of any security.

Market Timing and Excessive Trading. Access Persons must not engage in excessive trading or market timing activities with respect to any mutual fund. When placing trades in any mutual fund, whether the trade is placed directly in a personal account, 401(k) account, deferred compensation account, account held with an intermediary or any other account, Access Persons must comply with the rules set forth in the fund's prospectus and SAI regarding the frequency and timing of such trades.

Transactions with Clients. Access Persons are prohibited from knowingly selling to, or purchasing from, a client any security or other property, except publicly–traded securities issued by such client.

Transactions Likely to Raise Conflicts with Duties to Clients. Access Persons may not enter into any transactions that: a) may have a negative impact on their attention to their responsibilities to the firm or our clients (e.g., trading frequently in personal accounts), or b) overextend their financial resources or commit them to financial liability that they are unable to meet.

Derivatives, Warrants and Rights. Access Persons are prohibited from trading options, forwards, swaps, warrants, rights and any other similar security in their Covered Accounts.

Private and Limited Offerings (e.g., IPOs). Typically, if client accounts are participating in a private or limited offering, Access Persons may not participate in the same offering. With prior approval from the CCO or CO, Access Persons may participate alongside client accounts but the client's interest will always come first. This includes Access Persons invested in Westfield's LPs (e.g., Micro Cap Fund).

Short Selling and Short ETFs/ETNs. Access Persons are prohibited from short selling securities in their Covered Accounts. This applies to ETFs/ETNs that are short the market, a sector, industry, etc.

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30-Day Holding Period. Covered Security investments made in Covered Accounts must be held for a minimum period of 30 calendar days after purchase (day one starts one day after trade date). ETFs and ETNs are not subject to the 30-day holding period.

Investment Team Sales in Covered Securities

All analysts (defined as sector and research analysts) that own securities in their covered accounts that overlap with their sector universe and are owned in a Westfield strategy managed by Westfield's Investment Committee must hold such security or securities until they have been fully liquidated from all strategies. Once the security is fully liquidated, the analyst may sell their personal shares 5 business days following the last client sale.

All individual portfolio managers that own securities in their covered accounts that overlap with the individual portfolios that they manage, must hold such security or securities until they have been fully liquidated from all client accounts under their management. Once the security is fully liquidated; the portfolio manager may sell their personal shares 5 business days following the last client sale.

The above restrictions do not apply to securities that are held due to client restrictions (e.g., tax considerations, retention for proxy voting, etc.). Any exceptions must be approved by the CCO or a designee. Analysts may continue to trim and/or sell securities for their covered accounts that are not in their sector universe. Portfolio managers may continue to trim/sell securities for their covered accounts that are not held in the portfolios they manage. Any trims/sales will still follow the above personal securities transaction restrictions, front running and blackout periods as applicable.

Front Running and Blackout Periods

Front running is an illegal practice. Access Persons should not enter into a personal security transaction when the Access Person knows, or has reason to believe, that the security or related security: a) has recently been acted upon, b) may in the near future be recommended for action, or c) may in the near future be acted upon by the firm for client accounts.

For Covered Securities that have been traded in client accounts, the blackout period begins five business days before the client trade and ends five business days after the last client trade. If the Covered Security was traded for reasons outside of an investment recommendation (e.g., cash flow, rebalancing/dispersion, etc.), the blackout period begins when the trades are placed on the blotter and ends when the trades have been completed.

For Covered Securities that have been recommended or are "under consideration," the blackout period begins five business days before the day a security was recommended or placed under consideration and typically ends five business days thereafter. Some securities may remain on the restricted list for longer periods of time. Compliance has full discretion to decide whether a security is restricted and for how long.

ETFs and ETNs are not subject to the blackout periods discussed in this section.

New Employees

All new employees will be required to be in compliance with Westfield's Code within 10 calendar days from their date of hire (e.g., must cover short positions).

New investment team employees will be allowed 10 calendar days to trim/liquidate securities within their sector universe that overlap with a strategy managed by Westfield's Investment Committee. However, all other provisions within the Code must be followed (e.g., must follow preclearance requirements, blackout periods apply).

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Code of Ethics

Initial 401(k) allocations, including open-end mutual Funds sub-advised or advised by Westfield do not require preclearance.

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Reporting Requirements for Personal Securities Transactions

Unless noted in Exemptions in this section, Access Persons must file the reports described below, even if the person has had no holdings, transactions or accounts to list in the reports.

Reports are submitted through the personal trading system, which will track the dates and times of submissions. All submissions will remain confidential and will not be accessible by anyone other than Compliance and to the extent necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of the Code or to comply with regulatory or legal requirements.

Access Persons are responsible for reviewing and verifying the information on all of their reports prior to submission. You must promptly speak with Compliance about any errors, omissions or discrepancies on these reports before they are submitted.

Initial and Annual Holdings Reports. Access Persons must submit a report of their holdings in Covered Securities within 10 days after the day they become an Access Person and on an annual basis thereafter. Initial holdings information should be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the employee's date of becoming an Access Person. Annual holding reports should be as of December 31st and submitted within 30 days after the calendar year end. For each holding, Access Persons must provide: 1) the title and type of security, 2) as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or cusip number, 3) the number of shares and principal amount of each reportable security in which the access person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership, 4) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the access person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the access person's direct or indirect benefit, and 5) the date the access person submits the report.

Quarterly Transaction Reports. Access Persons are required to report Covered Securities transactions for the most recent calendar quarter. Each transaction should indicate: 1) the date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or cusip number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and principal amount of each reportable security involved, 2) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition), 3) the price of the security at which the transaction was effected, 4) the name of broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected, and 5) the date the access person submits the report. Quarterly transaction reports are due within 30 days after the calendar quarter end.

Initial Investment Account Reports. Access Persons must submit brokerage statements for all accounts held for their direct or indirect benefit within 10 days after the day they become an Access Person. Compliance will review these statements and determine if the accounts would fall under ongoing reporting requirements (i.e., a Covered Account). Statements should be dated no later than 45 days prior to the employee becoming an Access Person.

Quarterly Investment Account Reports. Access Persons must certify to a list of their Covered Accounts (as defined in Appendix A). Quarterly account reports are due within 30 days after the calendar quarter end.

Access Persons must notify Compliance of any new and closed Covered Accounts as soon as reasonably possible. Closed accounts will remain active in the personal trading system and will be subject to applicable reporting requirements described above, unless Compliance has been notified otherwise.

Duplicate Statements or Confirms. Duplicate copies of personal transaction confirmations or account statements are required for Covered Accounts. Copies of such documents must be sent directly to Compliance or through an electronic feed into the personal trading system. Employees with accounts set up to receive electronic feeds in the personal trading system are not required to provide paper copies of confirmations or statements as transactions and positions directly feed into the system. If Compliance does not receive the

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appropriate electronic data or duplicate confirmations and statements, Compliance will request the documents from the Access Person. This requirement does not satisfy the quarterly or annual reporting requirements outlined above.

Private Investments. A confirmation of the investment with the invested dollar amount must be submitted to Compliance promptly after the investment is made.

Exemptions

The following transactions are exempt from the preclearance and/or reporting requirements discussed previously. Access Persons should be reminded that these exemptions do not absolve them from violations of other Westfield policies, applicable laws and regulations, as well as the spirit of the Code.

No Knowledge or Control. Transactions where the Access Person has no influence, control or knowledge are exempt from preclearance (e.g., corporate or broker actions).

Subject to Compliance approval, Access Persons can omit any report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control.

Managed Accounts. Transactions effected in accounts managed by an external financial adviser are exempt from preclearance and reporting requirements. Access Persons may speak to their adviser about their financial goals and objectives, but they are not permitted to consult with their adviser (or be consulted) on any specific security transactions. To qualify for this exemption, Access Persons must:

Have their financial adviser provide an initial written certification to Westfield on the arrangement and/or provide a copy of the managed account agreement with their financial adviser.

Complete certifications quarterly regarding their influence or control over these accounts.

Annually have their financial adviser provide a written certification to Westfield that they did not consult with their adviser on any specific security transactions and that the adviser did not consult with them on any specific security transactions.

If requested, provide Compliance with copies of holdings and/or transactions made in their account(s).

529 Plans or College Savings Plans. Transactions in 529 Plans or college savings plans are exempt from preclearance and reporting requirements. (Does not apply to Coverdell ESAs that are invested in Covered Securities.)

Automatic Investment Plans. Transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan are exempt from preclearance and reporting requirements.

Prior Employer's Profit Sharing or Retirement Plans. Transactions executed in a prior employer's profit sharing or retirement plan are exempt from preclearance and reporting. This exemption does not apply to transactions in reportable securities or to any discretionary brokerage account option that may be available from a former employer. Such transactions/accounts are subject to preclearance and reporting requirements.

Other. Transactions in securities determined by Compliance to present a low potential for impropriety or the appearance of impropriety may be exempt from transactional restrictions and preclearance/reporting requirements. Compliance will review these on a case-by-case basis.

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Administration

Approval and Distribution

Compliance will distribute the Code (either as a stand-alone document or as part of the firm's Compliance Manual) to all employees during the first week of hire and at least annually thereafter. Employees are required to acknowledge their having received, read, and complied with the Code.

Material amendments or material revisions made to this Code will be approved by the CCO and the Management Committee. Upon approval, the Code will be distributed to all employees shortly thereafter. Immaterial amendments do not require Management Committee approval and will be distributed either with material amendments or during the annual distribution period. Employees may be required to complete appropriate acknowledgements after distribution.

Training and Education

Compliance is responsible for coordinating the training and education of employees regarding the Code. All newly hired employees are required to complete a compliance overview session that includes a review of the Code. They also are required to acknowledge that they have attended the new employee training and have received a copy of the Code (as part of the firm's Compliance Manual). Temporary or contract employees will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement and attend a compliance overview session.

Employees are required to attend all training sessions and read any applicable materials that Compliance deems appropriate. On occasion, it may be necessary for certain departments or individuals to receive additional training. Should this be the case, a member of Compliance will coordinate with the appropriate department managers to discuss particular topics and concerns to address at the training session.

Personal Transactions Monitoring

On at least a quarterly basis, a member of Compliance will review and monitor required reports for conformity with all applicable provisions outlined in the personal trading section. Each member of the Compliance Department will review and monitor each other's reports as required by the Code.

Annual Review of Code

The CCO and/or the CO will review, at least annually, the adequacy of the Code and the effectiveness of its implementation. Such results are usually recorded in the firm's annual testing program.

Reports to Management Committee

At least annually, the CCO will report material Code matters to Westfield's Management Committee. On occasion, the CCO will also report immaterial items to the Management Committee in order to keep them informed of Code matters.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Westfield will maintain the following records in a readily accessible place for a period of not less than seven years.

A copy of each Code that is in effect, or at any time within the past seven years;

A record of any violation of the Code, and of any action taken as a result of the violation, for seven years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

A copy of each report and acknowledgement made under the Code for the past seven years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made or information is provided;

A list of names of persons, currently or within the past seven years, who are or were Access Persons or Investment Persons;

Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Date Approved: 08/16/2019

Code of Ethics

A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, for approving the acquisition of IPOs and limited offerings for at least seven years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval was granted; and

A record of any granted waivers or exceptions, and supporting reasons, to any provisions of the Code.

Violations and Sanctions

Westfield treats violations of the Code (including violations of the spirit of the Code) very seriously. If an employee violates either the letter or the spirit of this Code, Westfield may impose disciplinary actions or fines, or it may make a civil or criminal referral to appropriate regulatory entities. (Refer to Appendix B for the sanctions table) Code violations become a part of the employee's employment history at Westfield. Multiple violations within a 12-month period will be reported to Human Resources and appropriate supervisors or managers. Employees should always consult with the CCO or the CO if they are in doubt of any of the requirements or restrictions in the Code.

A senior member of Compliance will notify employees of any discrepancy between their personal activities and the rules outlined in this Code. Each violation and the circumstances surrounding each violation will be reviewed by a senior member of Compliance. Based on the review, a senior member of Compliance will determine whether the policies established in this Code have been violated, and whether any action should be taken. The CCO and/or the CO will determine appropriate sanctions (in accordance with Westfield's sanctions guidelines). Once the sanction has been approved, Compliance will notify the employee. Compliance has the discretion of reporting material Code matters to the Operations & Risk Management Committee and/or the Management Committee.

Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Date Approved: 08/16/2019

Code of Ethics

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Access Person is any Westfield employee or non-employee who meets at least one of the following conditions:

is an officer, director, or partner

has access to nonpublic information about client purchases or sales of securities

makes or participates in making investment recommendations to clients

has access to client investment recommendations that are non-public

has access to nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of affiliated mutual funds

Beneficial Interest generally refers to the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit.

Business Day refers to every official Westfield working day of the week.

Client Account refers to any account over which Westfield has been granted authority to purchase and/or sell securities on the client's behalf.

Covered Account refers to any investment account over which an Access Person:

a.has direct or indirect beneficial interest; or

b.exercises investment control, meaning he or she actually provides input into or makes the security buy and/or sell decisions for the account. The account does not need to be in an Access Person's name; if an

Access Person has either joint or sole investment control over an account, it may be considered a Covered Account.

Covered Security refers to any security or fund that does not fall under one of the following exceptions:

Direct obligations of the Government of the United States (e.g., treasury bills, treasury bonds, U.S. savings bonds);

Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposits, commercial paper, and high-quality short term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

Shares issued by money market funds;

Shares issued by open-end mutual funds that are not sub-advised or advised by Westfield;

Shares issued by unit investment trusts ("UITs") that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end mutual funds, none of which are sub-advised or advised by Westfield.

Employee means all Westfield personnel who are not hired on a temporary or contract basis.

Family member refers to a spouse, children, step-children, grandchildren, parents, step-parents, grandparents, domestic partners, siblings, parents-in-law, children-in-law, as well as adoptive relationships sharing the same household.

Investment Person means any Access Person who makes or participates in making investment recommendations for client accounts.

Reportable Fund means any pooled fund, regardless of whether it is offered publicly or privately, for which Westfield serves as adviser or sub-adviser. This includes Westfield limited partnerships.

Short Selling means selling a security that is not owned in the account.

Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Date Approved: 08/16/2019

Code of Ethics

Appendix B: Sanctions Guidelines

Sanctions can be more or less than what is indicated in the table below. Sanctions such as disgorgement of profits (gross of any taxes or transaction costs) and reversal of trades may be considered in addition to or instead of the sanctions indicated in the table below, In recommending sanctions, Compliance will:

Consider an employee's role and responsibilities, past trading history, facts and circumstances around the violation and other applicable factors

Impose the highest of all applicable sanctions, if a violation falls within more than one category or if multiple violations occur on the same day

Review violations not listed in the table on a case-by-case basis

Consult with the Management Committee or Operations & Risk Management Committee members, if needed

Violation

Management and Investment Committee,

All Other Employees

 

Research Analysts, Traders, Officers

 

Late Reporting or

First Offense: $500

First Offense: $100

Certification

 

 

 

Second Offense: $750 and suspension of personal

Second Offense: $200 and suspension of personal

All listed fines are per day

securities transaction rights (up to 6 months)

securities transaction rights (up to 3 months)

after due date and per report

 

 

or certification

Subsequent Offense: $1,500 and suspension of

Subsequent Offense: $300 and suspension of

 

personal securities transaction rights (up to 12

personal securities transaction rights (up to 6

 

months)

months)

 

 

 

Failure to Preclear

First Offense: $2,000 per transaction and

First Offense: $500 per transaction

(includes trading more shares

suspension of personal securities transaction rights

 

then were precleared)

for 30 days

Second Offense: $1,000 per transaction and

 

 

suspension of personal securities transaction

 

Second Offense: $5,000 per transaction and

rights for 30 days

 

suspension of personal securities transaction rights

 

 

for 3 months

Subsequent Offense: $2,500 per transaction and

 

 

suspension of personal securities transaction

Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Date Approved: 08/22/2018

Code of Ethics

 

Subsequent Offense: $10,000 per transaction and

rights for 6 months

 

suspension of personal securities transaction rights

 

 

for 12 months

 

Market Timing

Termination of employment and civil or criminal

Termination of employment and civil or criminal

 

referral

referral

Failure to Make Accurate or

Monetary fines starting at $5,000; suspension of

Monetary fines starting at $1,000; suspension of

Complete Reports

personal securities transaction rights; possible

personal securities transaction rights; possible

 

termination of employment

termination of employment

Front Running

$2,500 per transaction; temporary or permanent

$2,500 per transaction; temporary or permanent

 

suspension of personal securities transaction rights;

suspension of personal securities transaction

 

possible termination of employment

rights; possible termination of employment

30-day Holding Period

First Offense: 2,000 per transaction

First Offense: $500 per transaction

 

Second Offense: $5,000 per transaction;

Second Offense: $1,000 per transaction;

 

suspension of personal transaction rights (up to 6

suspension of personal transaction rights (up to 6

 

months)

months)

 

Subsequent Offense: $7,500 per transaction;

Subsequent Offense: $2,500 per transaction;

 

suspension of personal securities transaction rights

suspension of personal securities transaction

 

(up to 12 months)

rights (up to 12 months)

Westfield Capital Management Company, L.P. Date Approved: 08/22/2018

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST

COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST II

COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II

COLUMBIA SELIGMAN PREMIUM TECHNOLOGY GROWTH FUND, INC.

TRI-CONTINENTAL CORPORATION

(each a "Registrant")

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint Michael G. Clarke, Marybeth Pilat, Joseph D'Alessandro, Paul B. Goucher, Ryan C. Larrenaga, Christopher O. Petersen, Michael E. DeFao and Megan E. Garcy, each individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an "Attorney-in-Fact") with power of substitution or resubstitution, in any and all capacities, including without limitation in the undersigned's capacity as Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer), and Principal Financial Officer of each Registrant, in the furtherance of the business and affairs of each Registrant: (i) to execute any and all instruments which said Attorney-in-Fact may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (together the "Acts") and any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of each Registrant's Registration Statement regarding the registration of each Registrant or its shares of beneficial interest, and any and all amendments thereto, including without limitation any reports, forms or other filings required by the Acts or any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the SEC; and (ii) to execute any and all federal, state or foreign regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organizational documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, each Registrant. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in- Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked by any subsequent power of attorney I may execute unless such subsequent power of attorney specifically refers to this Power of Attorney or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior general powers of attorney or all prior powers of attorney (and unless otherwise required by a provision of law that cannot be waived). This Power of Attorney shall terminate automatically with respect to a Registrant if the undersigned ceases to hold the above-referenced office(s) of the Registrant.

Dated: January 3, 2020

/s/ Joseph Beranek

Joseph Beranek